The best Nihon Falcom games for beginners

Key takeaways

• Nihon Falcom games from the 2000s and 2010s are now accessible to Western audiences on modern consoles.
• Brandeis: The Dark Revenant offers a newcomer-friendly dungeon crawler experience with fun gameplay.
• Gurumin: A Demonic Adventure and Zwei: Ilvard Uprising are underrated gems that can provide a lot of enjoyment to newcomers.

There are countless Nihon Falcom Games from the 2000s and 2010s that are finally seeing releases on modern consoles and becoming accessible to Western audiences for the first time. It gives many gamers plenty to explore and discover.

Nihon Falcom has easily two of the biggest juggernauts in its arsenal trails and yes franchises, but these aren't the only games worth playing, many of the throwback titles still hold up to this day and are worth checking out.

8 Brandeis: Dark Revenant

A newcomer-friendly dungeon crawler

• Developer: Nihon Falcom
• Released: March 19, 2009
• Platform: PlayStation Portable

Nihon Falcom has made many action RPG games, and Brandeis: Dark Revenant This talent applies to the dungeon crawling subgenre of gaming. Gamers may think that the game seems a bit slow-paced, but slowing down in one location can lead to an encirclement, so players will need to keep pressing.

However, this is not a difficulty that will deter players. Instead, once they've adapted to it and become familiar with how to send all the threats into a single room, the game has a much more enjoyable rhythm. There are tons of areas to explore, enemies to fight, and items to loot, making it a great experience for beginners.

7 Gurumin: A Demonic Adventure

A 2004 gem that is still worth playing

• Developer: Nihon Falcom
• Released: December 25, 2004
• Platform: Windows, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo 3DS

Gurumin: A Demonic Adventure is a very straightforward action adventure game with a lot to offer. The game has very fun visuals that make use of bright colors and hyper-stylized polygonal graphics. This means that anyone who buys it today will have a game that catches on visually.

The game was originally released for PC in Japan but will be ported to the PSP, where it will later be released in Western territories. It will later come to the Western PC market and finally the 3DS market. This makes it a very accessible title for gamers to get hold of, and one that is still worth playing today.

6 Zwei: The Ilvard Rebellion

Nihon Falcom's underrated dungeon crawling treasure

Zwei: The Ilvard Rebellion It may not be as popular A story of heroes or yes Games, both are other properties Nihon FalcomBut it's a title that deserves a lot of love. The game can be seen in a much more modern sense BrandeisOffering plenty of favorite dungeon crawler elements but with much better controls.

This can make it much easier for modern gamers to enjoy. Swapping between characters allows gamers to change the way they play, and can be a great way to keep things feeling fresh in the game's many dungeons.

5 Tales of Heroes: Trails from Zero

A prequel to kick things off

There are many long-running JRPG franchises, and many gamers love to dive into such franchises because of how many there are. However, the French love it final fantasy and Dragon Quest Each main entry tends to form its own standalone story. each trails The title, however, follows the events of past games, meaning players will be in for an incredibly long undertaking if they decide to take the plunge.

There is a place to start Trails from Zerowhich serves as a prequel to the series. This game was developed very bottom line and has many qualities of life features, such as a streamlined combat system, a sophisticated user interface, and it can also be emotionally invested for the players.

4 The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky

A Nihon Falcom Smash Hit

While some gamers may find Trails from Zero Very easy when trying to enter trails Games, another great starting point would be the actual first game in the hit franchise. This allows players to play games in the order in which they are released and get the most out of each entry.

This can be a tough pill to swallow with how dated this game is Trails from Zero. However, there is a remake in the works under this game title Trails in the first sky, It is slated to release in June 2025. This could be the perfect game for new players to get into this beloved franchise.

3 The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails

An action JRPG spin-off Trails

• Developer: Nihon Falcom
• Platforms: PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 4, Windows, Nintendo Switch
• Released: July 26, 2012

For those who find the idea of ​​hopping into a grandly connected storyline a bit daunting, they can begin this task with a JRPG spin-off title. trails suffrage It is a completely self-contained story.

Players can progress through the main story without much grinding, and there are many side quests for those who want to extend their time with the game. Many of these side quests actually seem to intersperse the main quests at home, making them feel more meaningful.

2 Tokyo Xanadu eX+

An alternate version of Tokyo

This is for one personality As a fan, Tokyo Xanadu eX+ Presents a modern-day Japan with otherworldly qualities. The city is plagued by rifts filled with monstrous entities, but there is a special team tasked with sealing them. The player character, Kaw, joins this team when he realizes that he shares similar powers with them.

Players can wander around this game's version of Tokyo, interacting with many charming NPCs along the way. While the game can give more personality In terms of story and world-building vibes, its combat is completely different, employing an action-based system, which is likely to appeal to newcomers looking to immerse themselves.

1 Ys 10: The Nordics

A fast-paced action JRPG adventure

as with trails Titles, The yes There are many long lines of games that follow an ongoing story, but some gamers may be wondering where to start. The yes Games are more episodic and can technically be played without needing to play previous games. However, beginners may not be able to get into the game due to how dated the actual games are.

A great starting point for beginners yes 10. The game has great visuals, fun and fluid combat, gives players plenty of lore to explore, and is a great JRPG experience in general. yes 10 Chronologically it follows the first 2 yes games, so if players enjoy it and want to play their entire franchise, they will be closer to the start of the continuity. Those not into the earlier games can skip them, as future titles do a great job of filling in any story gaps.