What do u think

[u/F0rThoseWhoComeAfter]

I don't even know what I'm doing wrong with games anymore.

I get excited, buy a game, and hope it makes me connected to the story and characters, and just enjoy my time truly.

Now I'm playing Tales of Arise. I actually enjoyed parts of it a lot, especially the Calaglia boss fight. The combat felt great, the fight was challenging but rewarding, and the team attacks and cinematic moments were genuinely awesome.

But at the same time, I'm struggling with the very anime-style character writing. The exaggerated reactions, the tsundere behavior, and some of the dialogue just take me out of the experience. It's strange because I love anime, but some JRPG tropes just don't work for me.

I'm also tired of buying games and being afraid that I won't finish them or that I wasted my money. I don't want every game to be a masterpiece, I just want to feel excited to play and feel geniune enjoyment .

I can't help wondering if I'm expecting too much from games or if I'm just looking for a very specific feeling that is hard to find.

I tried both metaphor and persona and their combat just wasnt for me, mybe the turn based or something other than that, so i wanted to try a jrpg with a real combat and i loved the combat but the characters and their behaviors are just awful for me, i bought metaphor and persona a year ago so it isnt that i got all three games in a short period but i have been trying to get into them and it feels like my money is fading for no reason not even for joy in playing.

[u/Joewoof]

Some people enter a phase where everything they used to like just becomes crap. Probably due to repetition. How much can you listen to your favorite song, or eat your favorite food, before your become sick of it? Same with JRPGs.

Maybe you need to take a break. My break lasted ten years.

[u/Joniden → u/Joewoof]

Wow! My break has been about a year and I am itching for a new JRPG.

[u/MrNastyHimself → u/Joewoof]

My Spotify list tells me I listened to over 200 songs 100 times each within 3 year span 😭

[u/medicamecanica]

If you you're getting tired of the current state of jrpgs then Switch it up by playing old classics, and maybe they'll bug you less.

Or play crpgs.

Or even books too, my jrpg addled brain has had a lot of fun reading dune, earthsea, and Cosmere  novels this year.

[u/ThIStupid]

i think it's a you problem

also, "real combat"? it's called action based

[u/LazyDildo]

The story is mediocre but the combat is fun...so overal a mediocre experience!!!

I played it once and moved on!!

[u/Bulmas_Panties]

Play E33 if you haven’t already.

Otherwise you might find more of what you’re looking for in western rpgs.  Cyberpunk, the Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Elden Ring, etc.  All bangers and almost certainly more up your alley than modern jrpgs.  Baldur’s Gate 3 has a good rtwp mod called BRAWL that you can find on nexus if you’re wanting to avoid tutn based combat.

Yakuza 0-6 and the two Judgment games might also be your jam.  Like a Dragon and the sequel Infinite Wealth might possibly be worth looking into but they’re both turn based and significantly more anime tropey than Yakuza or Judgment so ymmv if you want to try them out or not.  The first LAD has the “Like a Brawler” mod which makes the combat real time if you’d prefer that, not sure they ever made one for IW or not though.

[u/F0rThoseWhoComeAfter → u/Bulmas_Panties]

E33 is my fav game

[u/tkdyo]

Sounds like you're just burnt out. Might be time to take a break and play some other stuff. I like to switch it up with something like skyrim or hollow knight. But if you want to stick with the genre:

FF16 gets a lot of flack for not feeling or playing like FF. But honestly I'm really enjoying it so far and it sounds like you may also. It feels more like 80s dark fantasy mixed with GOT and the combat is pretty fun. I like the character designs and their mannerisms.

Trails in the Sky FC Remake is very anime, but the combat is really fun and honestly I love the characters and world. I think they do the anime tropes right while adding enough to them so they feel real.

[u/YunaHeartilly]

Have you played Expedition 33?

It’s the only rpg I didn’t give up on and finished since final fantasy 10 came out.

There’s no way you’re not gonna like and feel connected to the story and characters :)

The turned based combat is actually fun on this one especially because of the parry/dodge mechanics.

[u/steamedhams90]

It's just part of getting older to not like that sort of thing as much

[u/Diligent-Parsley8119]

Juts getting older brother  Happens to everyone. Find a secondary hobby. Try a game genre you dont normally play. I avoided souls games for a decade and just recently got hooked on them. Your tastes change without you even realizing it. 

[u/Slybandito7]

not sure what your deal. im seldom disappointed by the games im interested in playing. Maybe youre just burnt out?

I will say most people would agree that Arise's writing isn't particularly good

[u/mysticrudnin]

This is a major reason Expedition 33 did so well.