A Good JRPG

Every once in a while, I get a pretty good itch to play a Japanese RPG. Granted, it's not my usual fare. I typically prefer western-style RPGs. But I grew up as a console kiddie with plenty of JRPGs on the table, so from time to time, I still get the urge to indulge.

Well, I'd been searching high and low. I even purchased 3 or 4 games in the hopes that they might be good JRPGs, but lo and behold, they were not. Fortunately, I finally stumbled upon the newly released "Tales of Graces f", a PS3 re-release of the title previously only available on the Wii in Japan. And let me tell you folks, it's exactly what I was looking for.

It's bright and playful, with just enough faux-gravitas to make things interesting. Gorgeous anime graphics interspersed with actual hand-drawn cut-scenes. A great, real-time combat system and cute as hell characters. Who could ask for more? I'm over 30 hours deep so far and still loving it. So this one's definitely a winner!