The full article with screenshots and miscellaneous tid-bits was originally posted on the game design blog Significant-Bits.
Introduction
Following an era where the PSX reigned supreme, the sixth console generation got a significant hardware upgrade with more storage space, larger resolutions, higher poly counts, etc. The extra horsepower allowed for many genres to better realize their settings and mechanics, and JRPGs were no exception.
Real-time combat was no longer limited to the Tales and Star Ocean series, and freeform movement opened the door for various new action-RPGs like the massively successful Kingdom Hearts.
Turn-based party-battlers were still plentiful, but it was perhaps the first step to catering for a broader audience at the cost of alienating older fans.
It was also when JRPGs lost me.
The higher fidelity presentation meant that previous abstractions were now shown in their full glory, or lack thereof. Instead of a pixelated knight bowing his head and saying a single dubiously-translated line of dialogue, the protagonist was now an emotional teenager -- complete with grating voice acting and a smirking portrait -- blathering on for entire paragraphs with rarely an option to skip ahead.
There were no longer any blanks to fill, and the added content was skewed for a younger demographic. Consequently I didn't play any of these games upon release, and about half of them were brand new to me.
Grandia II - August 3, 2000
The Dreamcast was something of a stopgap before the PS2, Xbox, and GameCube truly ushered in the new console generation. The first of its standout JRPGs was Grandia II, the most fondly remembered entry in the series that received multiple re-releases over the years.
The opening of Grandia II smacks of the previous generation. It starts with a short anime video, followed by an in-engine cutscene involving various characters, and is capped off with another in-game cutscene introducing the protagonist.
Despite showing some combat encounters, this opening is entirely non-interactive and unskippable. However, as soon as it's finished the milestones come rapidly.
The opening area is a mini-dungeon, with a save point close-by. Combat is initiated via on-screen enemies that glow red when they spot the player.
After the initial encounter, the first gear upgrade is obtained, followed by the first consumable, and finally a rest spot. All of this takes less than 5 minutes, and the overworld map is reached within half an hour.
From there, things slow down a bit as the first town is reached. NPCs often have different things to say when they're spoken to repeatedly, and the plot necessitates some dungeon exploration. A level up takes place during this quest, and the first companion joins upon returning.
Ability customization follows right after, but 2 hours proves not quite enough time to reach the first boss.
FTC: NA
Skies of Arcadia - October 5, 2000
Just a couple of months after Grandia II, the Dreamcast got its other landmark JRPG: Skies of Arcadia. While it was critically acclaimed for its lighthearted, adventurous spirit, it didn't sell as well as expected. The game only got a GameCube upgrade, with various other re-releases being cancelled.
Despite this, Skies of Arcadia is fondly remembered as a title that hearkens back to what made JRPGs great in the previous generations.
After a short, in-engine cinematic, the player is thrust directly into combat. When the battle ends, the party finds itself in a dungeon with an item close by. With a bit of exploration and fighting, the first level up is achieved just before finding a save point. Within 10 minutes of the initial combat, the dungeon's boss is encountered, and a new ability is obtained after his defeat.
When the party escapes to the overworld, the rapid pace slows down a little. This is the first time any tutorials are presented, and the player gets to explore the land aboard their airship.
Back in the protagonist's home town, some shops open up and plenty of cutscenes and general exploration takes place. Due to the scripted nature of this segment, there actually is no manual resting until the second dungeon is completed.
Combat is initiated with random battles, which aren't as frequent as many online complaints indicate, but they're not rare either. Consequently the 2 hour mark elapses just before the first new party member joins the crew.
FTC: NA
Final Fantasy X - July 19, 2001
FFVII was a breakout hit on the original PlayStation, and FFX aimed to duplicate that success on the PS2. While it wasn't the first fully 3D JRPG, FFX's production values were significantly higher than those of its contemporaries. Voice overs and custom animations were no longer limited to prerendered cinematics, and the overall fidelity was a clear step up.
It might not have been as drastic a transition as the series' previous generational leap, but the sales and critical reception of FFX all seemed to indicate that it lived up to its hype. Consequently it received various remasters, and was the first mainline entry to get a direct sequel.
It was also the first Final Fantasy game that I gave up on when it deposited a net in my hands and told me to go catch some butterflies.
After a short and somber intro showcasing the game's cast, the player takes control of Tidus, a professional athlete on his way to a sports match.
Following 10 minutes of fan-conversations and some very linear exploration, the event kicks off but is immediately interrupted by a huge monster attacking the city. A companion quickly joins up, and the first battle takes place. The combat is quite fast, with hasty animations and the old ATB system being replaced with one that instantly skips to the next combatant's turn.
The intro combat sequence is quite interesting as the party faces enemies both in the front and back, with the rear enemies respawning if killed. By defeating the front ones, the party "moves forward" without exiting the battle scene. Eventually an easy boss fight takes place, and a save point is found right after.
Following some surreal cutscenes, the player is deposited in the first dungeon. The area is quite atmospheric, with the mystery of what just happened and where the protagonist finds himself squarely in the forefront. There are no immediate explanations, just monsters and a sense solitude. An item is found pretty quickly, and after some light puzzles and a level up, a human faction is encountered that speaks a foreign language (a rarity in JRPGs).
The encounter with the Al Bhed results in a lengthy tutorial on obtaining abilities, and yet another dungeon. The protagonist is eventually separated from the group and transported to a whole new location. Here the game proper begins, and after a lot of cutscenes, tutorials, and exploration, the first reusable rest spot and equipment are discovered.
However, it's not quite enough to reach the next hub within 2 hours.
FTC: NA
Golden Sun - August 1, 2001
Golden Sun served as something of a next-step JRPG for Pokemon fans. It was split into two titles on the Game Boy Advance, and received a sequel on Nintendo DS. Despite not selling a tremendous amount, the series gained a cult following that cherished its focus on puzzle dungeons.
Golden Sun starts off very quickly by making the introduction largely interactive. Saving can be done at any point from the main menu, and a companion joins up right before the first fight. However, the rest of opening slows down to an crawl due to the first instance (at least on these lists) of text-grind.
Just like in visual novels, all characters have a lot to say. They constantly repeat themselves, restate and confirm the obvious, and generally take a long time to say nothing.
The cramped text box doesn't help matters, but what's even worse are the constant dialogue interruptions. Characters not only take breaks to change poses, but also display floating emojis to reaffirm their emotional state. These elements really drag out the first half-hour, and the only new milestone during this time is obtaining a puzzle-related ability.
Eventually some shops open up providing items & equipment for purchase, and the first rest spot becomes available. The dungeon that follows isn't too difficult, but random encounters are quite frequent and the combat has a halting flow. This is mainly due to a Dragon Quest like battle log where each message must be manually confirmed.
Just over an hour and a half into the game, the opening sequence finally ends. The party sets out on the overworld map, but this doesn't leave enough time to encounter the first boss.
FTC: NA
Wild Arms 3 - March 14, 2002
Despite its reputation for being a Western-themed series, Wild Arms always focused on magic, monsters, castles, mechs, and other common trappings of JRPGs. Out of all the games, Wild Arms 3 came closest to capturing the vibe of the Wild West, and is arguably the series' standout entry.
A scripted sequence introduces something of a crisis aboard a train, with the four main characters facing each other in a standoff. This serves as a character select screen, with the option to play through the prologues in any order before the game proper begins.
Starting with the default character, a short cutscene plays before she's ushered into the first dungeon. Combat takes place right away, and an ability is found shortly after to help with environmental puzzles. The first items is collected following some exploration, and within 10 minutes the first boss encounter takes place.
When the boss is defeated, a level up takes place and a save option is presented before moving on to the next character's section. This pattern continues for all party members, which is why there's a long delay before resting and overworld travel come in at around the 75 minute mark. The last dungeon also proves too lengthy to obtain the first gear upgrade before the 2 hour marks elapses.
FTC: NA
Baten Kaitos - December 5, 2003
Prior to their success with Xenoblade Chronicles, Monolith Soft aimed to shore up the GameCube's scarcity of JRPGs with Baten Kaitos. Teaming up with tri-Crescendo, the two companies strayed a bit from tradition by basing the game's combat on a card system.
The reception of Baten Kaitos was generally positive -- it's easily remembered as one of the console's best JRPGs -- but this did not result in tremendous sales numbers. A sequel was met with a similar reception, and the series was shelved soon after.
Following a 5 minute intro, control is given to the player in a small village with a save point, an item store, and a rest spot.
While beautiful looking, the scripting system shows its age with rigid, state-driven cutscenes. These require a fade-to-black intro and outro, resetting the position of all applicable NPCs and party members. Not only does this add an unnecessary delay, it also comes across as very awkward when the reset leaves all characters in the same spots.
Exiting the village leads to a miniaturized overworld map reminiscent of Chrono Cross. Here all key locations are close by and no random encounters take place. Entering the first dungeon is soon followed by combat, but the exploration is a much lengthier process. The areas aren't sprawling, but a constant stream of new cards necessitates a fair amount of deck management.
After roughly 25 minutes in the dungeon, a boss battle takes place and a companion joins up after its defeat. From here things slow down considerably with more cutscenes and another dungeon area.
At the 75 minute mark, the first equipment upgrade is obtained, followed 10 minutes later by a brand new ability. The final milestone is hit in the second, much larger town where the mechanism for leveling up is finally unlocked.
FTC: 1:41:36
