A new golden age for JRPGs

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There’s a quote I’ve uttered a few too many times about how the golden age of sci-fi is actually 12 years old – a nice way of pointing out that the works we often like best are the ones are we encountered in those long years of our youth, when we have plenty of free time and a sense of wonder that is still too boring. It’s a spot that lends itself perfectly to video games, I’m sure you’ll agree.

When it comes to the golden age of JRPG, I’m sure we all have our own thoughts. The early ’90s are always hard to argue with when you had Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy in their 16-bit pomp, while games like Earthbound and Chrono Trigger offered intriguing twists on form. Maybe it’s the mid ’00s when Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy delivered their two best entries – for me anyway – within a year with Journey of the Cursed King and FF12. Maybe it’s that weird purple stain that’s brought us Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon in quick succession.