1. Tales of Xillia 2
2. Trails of Cold Steel 1
Easily one of the Ten Best Games I Have Ever Played.
I'm not sure what more I can say beyond that. At 125 hours, I've finished it without a guide, 4 points shy of max AP rank, and every single moment of it was pure RPG bliss. Superlative story and world-building, great cast of characters, addictive customization and gameplay. True the graphics and music weren't the best, but they didn't detract at all from the pure joy of playing this game.
Playing around with character builds really never got old. And I still want to do more of it. I love the addition of Master Quartz to the Trails formula. While quartz setups weren't as strategic as the Sky trilogy's, they rewarded experimentation moreso and made each successful build feel intensely satisfying. And unlike many other RPGs, using status effects is not only effective, but it's one of the best ways to go after most of the enemies in the game! Even a lot of bosses! That never got old either.
Even if there wasn't a sequel to this game, the cliffhanger ending still wouldn't lower my score. By far the best RPG I have played in ages. Honestly, I can't even think of the last time I played a better one. I would even put this on equal footing with my all-time favorite Final Fantasies and above the Trails in the Sky games, despite that series having better writing and plot. Some of the too-broad themes and anime tropes, as well as the low-budget feel, are honestly the only flaws in an otherwise perfect RPG, and when taking the game as a whole those are nitpicks. All RPG Fans owe it to themselves to play this.
Final Score: 10/10
Up Next: Ni No Kuni 2