8 Best Falcom RPGs

Summary

• Falcom's Dragon Slayer laid down the foundation for action RPGs, influencing games from Zelda to Dark Souls.
• The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure delivers a politically charged adventure in Crossbell, a long-awaited addition for fans.
• Tokyo Xanadu offers a unique experience with slick real-time combat, proving Falcom's versatility in the JRPG genre.

While Falcom (officially, Nihon Falcom) has been cranking out quality RPGs for decades, audiences outside of Japan have only really come to appreciate this developer’s works in the past decade or so. A concerted effort to localise more of Falcom’s games has serendipitously coincided with this studio delivering fantastic JRPG after fantastic JRPG – and the world of gaming’s a better place for it.

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Huge, interconnected worlds, hairstyles that take after every colour in the rainbow, and of course, banging music are all synonymous with Falcom RPGs, but some of their titles rise above the rest. Thanks to these games, Falcom has quietly – but steadily – been establishing itself as one of the leading JRPG developers alongside titans of the genre like Square Enix and Atlus.

8 Dragon Slayer

A Pioneer Of The Action RPG Genre

While most people think of the Ys or Trails series when they hear the words 'Falcom RPG', Dragon Slayer was the developer’s first foray into the genre to make any real impact. Of course, almost single-handedly inventing the action RPG genre as we know it has a pretty big impact, which is why Dragon Slayer deserves to be recognised for its influence alone.

Launched in 1984, predating other genre pioneers like Dragon Quest, Dragon Slayer ticks all the boxes you would expect from a dungeon-crawling action RPG. Its influence can be felt from The Legend of Zelda to Dark Souls, and it has established a legacy for its genre, series, and developer that is now 40 years and counting.

7 The Legend Of Heroes: Trails To Azure

A Politically Charged Adventure In Crossbell

For years, the Crossbell Arc was the missing link in the Trails series that fans outside of Japan feared we may never get officially localised. Thankfully, those fears were ultimately laid to rest as both Trails from Zero and Trails to Azure were given English ports on modern consoles and boy, was the wait worth it.

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Like with most of the Trails duologies, the first game delivers excellent setup and rising tension, while the second game is an epic crescendo to everything that has been previously established. Trails to Azure is a gripping conclusion to the story of the Special Support Section and their quest to overcome the political machinations festering away at the heart of Crossbell.

6 Tokyo Xanadu

And Now, For Something A Little Different

Falcom created Tokyo Xanadu out of a desire not to rely too heavily on the Ys and Trails series. While the setting of a modern-day Tokyo merging with paranormal dimensions may have Persona-clone written all over it, the game does manage to establish its own identity within this increasingly crowed JRPG sub-genre.

The real-time action combat is some of the slickest Falcom has developed to date, and it is interesting to see this studio try their hand at a game set in the real world. Already one of the best PS Vita games ever made, Tokyo Xanadu also received a enhanced version on PC and consoles if you don’t happen to have an old Vita lying around.

5 Ys Origin

A Worthy Prequel To A Legendary Series

Ys Origin is unique among games in its series for not featuring lead character Adol Christin at all (at least, not in the main story). Instead, as its name suggests, Ys Origin is a prequel story that focuses on two new characters — Yunica and Hugo — climbing up the Devil’s Tower to find the two missing goddesses.

The Devil’s Tower is also the main setting of the game, acting as one massive dungeon that you gradually work your way up as either Yunica or Hugo. The traps, enemies, and boss fights that greet you during your ascent are some of the most exciting in the entire series, helping Ys Origin establish itself as a favourite among fans.

4 The Legend Of Heroes: Trails Into Reverie

An Avengers Level Event For The Trails Series

Each game and story arc in the Trails series is set within a different country on the continent of Zemuria, gradually laying down the bricks for one big epic crossover event. The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reveries is that one big epic crossover event – at least for the Erebonia and Crossbell arcs – and it delivers big time.

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With over 50 playable characters and three separate story lines that eventually converge together, it’s safe to say that Trails into Reveries should not be your first game in the series. Instead, it’s a satisfying reward for those who have enjoyed the full journey up until this point, while still promising a bright future for the next wave of Trails games to come.

3 Ys 8: Lacrimosa Of Dana

An Ys-y Pick For The Best Ys Games

At its best, the Ys series conveys a sense of adventure and exploration that is hard to find anywhere else. And no Ys game captures this adventurous spirit better than Ys 8: Lacrimosa of Dana.

Discovering the Isle of Seiren and all of its secrets is truly captivating from both a gameplay and narrative point of view, as you never know what twists and surprises are waiting to greet you. Throw in a delightful cast of characters and buttery smooth action gameplay, and its easy to see why so many people think Lacrimosa of Dana is the best Ys game of all time.

2 The Legend Of Heroes: Trails Of Cold Steel 2

An Epic Tale Of War And Friendship

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steels 2 throws Rean and the other students from Class VII right into the Erebonian civil war that had been brewing throughout the events of the first game. Playing through this epic conflict is nothing short of awe-inspiring, but like with any Trails game, it’s the relationships at the centre of this large-scale event that makes Trails of Cold Steel 2 so gripping.

Class VII is arguably the most engaging ensemble in the entire series — and that’s really saying something — so seeing each of them grow up, find their purpose, and overcome their past challenges in the middle of this war really does bring goosebumps and tears in equal measure. Bold and ambitious, yet also reflective and personal, Trails of Cold Steel 2 is a modern RPG masterpiece.

1 The Legend Of Heroes: Trails In The Sky SC

Falcom’s Magnum Opus

Trails in the Sky SC tells one of the most deeply personal stories in JRPGs. While fighting off Ouroboros’s hostile takeover of Liberl provides an exciting backdrop for the action to take place, at the heart of this game is the love story between Estelle and Joshua.

Witnessing the ups and downs of their relationship is equal parts touching and gut-wrenching, and that’s not even mentioning the exception personal journeys that all the other characters go on during the course of this game. Trails in the Sky SC is Falcom at its very best — combining storytelling, worldbuilding, RPG gameplay, and a fantastic soundtrack into something truly transcendent.

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