What are some JRPGs with actually well designed and challenging combat/gameplay?
>Equipment choice mattes, and you're often swapping gear around for their unique effects instead of just linearly upgrading armor/weapons for more attack/defense as the game goes on >Grinding is non-existent or inconsequential, being a few levels below or above the enemy isn't going to dictate whether you have a super easy or hard time with them >Strategy matters, learning enemy patterns, behavior, how to best dispatch and defend against each of them is crucial to progress >Everything is important, every piece of gear has an use, every spell is necessary to be used, as opposed to usual games where you don't ever use a single status ailment skill through the entire game
Do you know of anything that fits these criteria? I'm okay with rom hacks/mods as well. Pic related is FF6 Brave New World, a mod that I've felt that really made the game more challenging and engaging.
I've heard of it. Can you tell me a bit more about what makes it good? How challenging is it?
Isaiah Butler
There's a porn VN called God Catching Alchemy Meister which has the best use of equipment. In this game there's a sort of Fire Emblem type of gameplay where you recruit girls (and fuck them) while using them in combat. The main girls have unique outfits you can make for them.
The outfits have unique appearances their own talent trees. There's a Monster Hunter-type outfit which looks beastly with claws and shit which unlocks a berserker type of playstyle. In a cutscene the girl wearing it keeps getting hotheaded then you find out the outfit is making her go into heat, so you fuck her doggy style.
Best use of equipment in gaming history.
Ethan Clark
Sounds like you don't want a jrpg, you want some mediocre action game. try dmc3, sounds right up your alley.
Christian Rogers
Lost Odyssey
Zachary Martinez
lost odyssey is filled with ultra linear upgrades for weapon and armor, there aren't even novelty weapons like the blood swords in ff. You have to grind your fucking ASS off part way through disc 2 unless you've done literally every sidequest (which is enough of a grind as is) there's no more strategy in it than learning the dial for shadow hearts or the timed commands for paper mario or legend of the dragoon.
Noah Phillips
Unironically some of the difficulty hacks out there for chrono trigger
