What game are you playing?

[J1M]

Lufia 2 is the best jrpg for people who are repulsed by animu artstyle(no offense to Val & co)
got largely overlooked because it released so late into the SNES's lifecycle

I also recall enjoying SaGa Frontier 2 for the PS1.

And you don't miss anything by skipping the first Lufia so there's no excuses for ignoring it.

[rusty_shackleford]

And you don't miss anything by skipping the first Lufia so there's no excuses for ignoring it.

You actually spoil yourself if you play the first game, as the start of the first is the end of the second.

[J1M]

And you don't miss anything by skipping the first Lufia so there's no excuses for ignoring it.

You actually spoil yourself if you play the first game, as the start of the first is the end of the second.

I don't really think any JRPG story is worth caring about. I was referring to the gameplay.

[Tangerine]

Lufia 2 is the best jrpg for people who are repulsed by animu artstyle(no offense to Val & co)
got largely overlooked because it released so late into the SNES's lifecycle

I also recall enjoying SaGa Frontier 2 for the PS1.

Anachronox is also pretty good

Make sure to get the official patch that lets you speed it up, though. The combat animations are soooo slooooow.

[Fox1]

I'm playing gta sa and I just got to San Fierro, considering quitting the because of the horrible and repetitive mission design consisting of cutscene -> drive somewhere for 5 mins with some ****** talking your ear off -> do some ******** **** with zero freedom in how you do it -> MISSION PASSED

Never played SA but I picked up IV recently. Sadly not much has changed... Are there any checkpoints during the missions in SA? Worst thing about IV is if you **** anything up you have the restart the entire mission again. The save system is terrible as well with no option to save outside of sleeping or autosave. A lot of the missions are the same

[traxtan]

Never played SA but I picked up IV recently. Sadly not much has changed... Are there any checkpoints during the missions in SA? Worst thing about IV is if you **** anything up you have the restart the entire mission again. The save system is terrible as well with no option to save outside of sleeping or autosave. A lot of the missions are the same

No it's basically the exact same as GTA IV, if you fail a mission you have to drive back and do it again. Mercifully the missions are easier in IV so you don't have to replay them most of the time.

[Roguey]

Never played SA but I picked up IV recently. Sadly not much has changed... Are there any checkpoints during the missions in SA? Worst thing about IV is if you **** anything up you have the restart the entire mission again. The save system is terrible as well with no option to save outside of sleeping or autosave. A lot of the missions are the same

No it's basically the exact same as GTA IV, if you fail a mission you have to drive back and do it again. Mercifully the missions are easier in IV so you don't have to replay them most of the time.

San Andreas does have checkpoints in its longer missions, I remember in particular the last one. You do have to drive back yourself though.

I can't recall about GTA IV, never failed one.

[rusty_shackleford]

ALL WE HAD TO DO WAS FOLLOW THE **** TRAIN CJ

[Demonic Fate]

Vietnam helicopter PTSD meme but it's the Vice City helicopter mission for me

[KnightoftheWind]

I played and beat Ys X: Nordics. I initially held off because a short while after the English release of the game, Falcom announced a new and improved version entitled "Ys X: Proud Nordics", which is due for release in Japan in 2025. Fans were rightly upset by this news, and I agreed with them when it came to waiting for Proud Nordics instead. But I decided "**** it" and pirated the original release, just so I could better compare the two versions down the line. My previous experience with Ys VIII was positive at first, but the game outgrew it's welcome by the halfway point and I never ended up finishing it. Ys X's first impressions are poor, with an hours long intro sequence full of cutscenes and dialogue and NPC interactions, but over time the game started getting better. The combat system is entirely different to Ys VIII's, focusing on two characters as opposed to a rotating party of three. You no longer have to switch characters to deal with certain enemy types, and now Adol can deal with all enemies just the same, as does his new partner Karja. The VIKANG waifu of this game.

The combat system is greatly improved over previous titles, with combat feeling more visceral and customizable. You can use a wide array of skills, assigned to a hotkey of your choosing, and by the end of the game you feel like a certified badass. Dispatching monsters in wacky anime fashion, with flames and flashing lights galore. Combat is also made more strategic, with blocking at the right time being important to parry and maximize damage, especially on boss fights. But the game is marred with repeat encounters, especially against the so-called "puppet griegr". I swear you fight that one miniboss a dozen times throughout the game, and it gets old. Taking a page out of Wind Waker's book, you can sail your very own pirate ship, doing battle with enemy vessels, liberating captured islands, and weighing anchor at different locations. At first the mechanic is dull, like in the Wind Waker, but as you upgrade your ship it becomes half-decent. Not really a selling point as it all feels half-baked, but the idea is there. Overall I'm looking forward to the next game, and how they will no doubt improve on everything that's here. I give Ys X: Nordics a 7/10.

[MC_Sea]

@Val the Moofia Boss what are some of the best jrpgs to look into playing?

Are you looking for purely turn-based JRPGs or can they include action elements? Because if so, I do have some suggestions in mind.

[Wretch]

@Val the Moofia Boss what are some of the best jrpgs to look into playing?

Are you looking for purely turn-based JRPGs or can they include action elements? Because if so, I do have some suggestions in mind.

They can have action

[boot]

Play fe4:genealogy of the holy war

And berwick saga

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Play fe4:genealogy of the holy war

Fire Emblem 4 - Genealogy of the Holy War was not the masterpiece it was made out to be. As much as people tout the first half of the "grounded geopolitical" story, they are actually only talking about maybe 10% of the cutscene dialogue. Most of the cutscene dialogue is the many dozens of generic bandits on these maps doing bandit stuff. The maps are a too big to move your units across, and again repetitive bandits. Moving through the forest in chapter 2 was a slog. I liked how one of the party members at the start is your brother-in-law coming to help you out, and in chapter 2 you had that knight from the other kingdom who stopped that army from wiping out your castle while you were away. Felt like there was true camaraderie. But again, the moment to moment gameplay was unenjoyable, especially with the amount of save scumming required because you are moving a dozen+ guys facing off against many more and cannot reasonable deduce if next turn a bunch of enemy units are going to be able to gang up and take out one of your guys. Dropped in chapter 4. Easily my least favorite FE.

[boot]

You savescummed the easiest fe game?

Anyway, it was perfectly balanced and epic, worth experiencing

[traxtan]

San Andreas does have checkpoints in its longer missions, I remember in particular the last one. You do have to drive back yourself though.

I haven't encountered a mission with a checkpoint, as I said I stopped playing when I reached San Fierro as I just got bored of the mission design.

[Kowe]

Finished Super Mario 3D World 100 %. As in all Golden Flagpoles, Stamps and Green Stars as well as completing all base and extra worlds.

Pros:

• Fluid movement and control of the characters.
• Compared to Wonder, the characters offer some slightly different gameplay. Dash Acceleration, Fall Speed, Jump Height, et cetera. Includes the unlockable, fifth character.
• Purposeful level-design which makes good use of the movement and power-ups. This holds especially true with the bonus worlds.
• Captain Toad and Mystery House offer additional variance in gameplay. Think of the latter as mini-games.
• Some of the best Soundtrack in the series.
• Better post-game content than Wonder with the bonus worlds. Especially Flower and Crown.
• The game offers Couch Co-Op.

Neutral

• Amount of Levels and Collectibles.

Cons:

• Less revolutionary than older titles of the IP. Think SM64, Sunshine, SMB3.
• Except for the post-game worlds, all the other stuff is easy.
• Not enough movement tech and mechanical depth. Compare it with SM64 and Sunshine.
• Online Play requires the paid Online Service from Nintendo.

Verdict: 3.5/5.

Now its onto Bowser's Fury and back to BG3.

[Valter]

Finished Super Mario 3D World 100 %. As in all Golden Flagpoles, Stamps and Green Stars as well as completing all base and extra worlds.

Pros:

• Fluid movement and control of the characters.
• Compared to Wonder, the characters offer some slightly different gameplay. Dash Acceleration, Fall Speed, Jump Height, et cetera. Includes the unlockable, fifth character.
• Purposeful level-design which makes good use of the movement and power-ups. This holds especially true with the bonus worlds.
• Captain Toad and Mystery House offer additional variance in gameplay. Think of the latter as mini-games.
• Some of the best Soundtrack in the series.
• Better post-game content than Wonder with the bonus worlds. Especially Flower and Crown.
• The game offers Couch Co-Op.

Neutral

• Amount of Levels and Collectibles.

Cons:

• Less revolutionary than older titles of the IP. Think SM64, Sunshine, SMB3.
• Except for the post-game worlds, all the other stuff is easy.
• Not enough movement tech and mechanical depth. Compare it with SM64 and Sunshine.
• Online Play requires the paid Online Service from Nintendo.

Verdict: 3.5/5.

Now its onto Bowser's Fury and back to BG3.

Mario games have a post-game learning every day I guess

[Kowe]

Finished Super Mario 3D World 100 %. As in all Golden Flagpoles, Stamps and Green Stars as well as completing all base and extra worlds.

Pros:

• Fluid movement and control of the characters.
• Compared to Wonder, the characters offer some slightly different gameplay. Dash Acceleration, Fall Speed, Jump Height, et cetera. Includes the unlockable, fifth character.
• Purposeful level-design which makes good use of the movement and power-ups. This holds especially true with the bonus worlds.
• Captain Toad and Mystery House offer additional variance in gameplay. Think of the latter as mini-games.
• Some of the best Soundtrack in the series.
• Better post-game content than Wonder with the bonus worlds. Especially Flower and Crown.
• The game offers Couch Co-Op.

Neutral

• Amount of Levels and Collectibles.

Cons:

• Less revolutionary than older titles of the IP. Think SM64, Sunshine, SMB3.
• Except for the post-game worlds, all the other stuff is easy.
• Not enough movement tech and mechanical depth. Compare it with SM64 and Sunshine.
• Online Play requires the paid Online Service from Nintendo.

Verdict: 3.5/5.

Now its onto Bowser's Fury and back to BG3.

Mario games have a post-game learning every day I guess

Not every. And then it differs in amount of content and therefore overall quality.
3D World's post-game content is substantial and requires completing the main story aka beating Bowser. Comparatively the best in the series. For Wonder, technically, only one special level is post-game content. Badge Marathon. Though most players likely do not go for 100 % immediately and revisit previous levels to collect stuff. Galaxy has had a sort of NG+ with Luigi. Same levels, different movement. Odyssey offers new moons to collect and a few new zones or areas.

[Tweed]

The Dig.

I got this out of a bargain bin and it sucked. I tried playing it again after finishing The Dig and it still sucked.

[WaterMage]

Re playing UnderRail.

[MC_Sea]

@Val the Moofia Boss what are some of the best jrpgs to look into playing?

Are you looking for purely turn-based JRPGs or can they include action elements? Because if so, I do have some suggestions in mind.

They can have action

Radiant Historia:
This Nintendo DS game has a fairly grounded story about a mercenary who finds a book that allows him to time travel to different events that happen during a war between 2 nations fighting for limited resources. The battle system is based on a 3x3 grid that allows you to hit multiple enemies at once by knocking into each other and turning them into a group. The game does a great job incentivizing you to use the system and it makes random encounters a lot more enjoyable than they would be otherwise. Both the sprite art/music are well done and pleasing to the eyes/ears. Apparently, there is a remake on the 3DS but I only played the original DS version so I don't know how it changed the content.

► Show Spoiler

The Last Story:
This is a Wii game where you play as a crew member of a mercenary band trying to get by while the nation struggles with an internal turmoil for political power. Don't worry, this game is compatible with the Classic Controller scheme (aka no motion controls/pointer). The gameplay is a unique mix of party tactics where give commands to others while attacking and stealth cover shooter to ambush enemies or during certain story segments. The setting takes place in a small yet dense+content filled capital city that feels very realistic due to the context specific animations as well as the personal scope of the story. The music is perfectly fitting and ends up being memorable because of how well it fits.

► Show Spoiler

Final Fantasy V (GBA Version. NOT the Pixel Remaster!):
A GBA game where a wanderer eventually ends up saving the world. The story isn't anything to write home about but the gameplay more than makes up for it. It has the most versatile job system out of all the FF games especially since you can inflict status effects to a fair amount of the bosses. You can mix passives+skills between jobs to make the ideal party members. Battles take place in an active-time system but you can make it turn based with the "Wait" setting. I chose the GBA version because the Pixel Remaster has lower difficulty (for "modern audiences"), an awful text font, and removed the post game that was added in the GBA version for some stupid reason. I recommend patching this game with the sound+graphics mods below.

(https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/6841/) (https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/563/)

► Show Spoiler

Mod comparison:

Wild Arms 3 (Also, 1+2):
The Wild Arms series are Playstation games involving western heroes trying to find their purposes in the deserted world, looking for riches, and eventually figuring out why the world became the way it is. The western aesthetic is fully ingrained in Wild Arms 3 which really makes the world feel alive and immersion. The combat even shows this by making battles revolve around guns, customizing them, and reloading once magazines are empty. The encounter rate is excessive at first but gets more tolerable the more you upgrade the point system that lets you skip battles. Dungeons have enjoyable puzzles and are fun to traverse with the unique items hidden inside. There is a lot of optional sidequests and puzzles available too. Music+graphics are top notch and will greatly enhance your experience. Wild Arms 1 and 2 are also worth playing if you enjoy this game, I just chose this 3 since it is the best one. There is a remake of 1 called Alter Code F but it changed too much of the first game which caused everyone to like it less than the original. Wild Arms 4/5 were okay but they also suffered the same issues as Alter Code F along with other issues like terrible story telling and awful world building.

► Show Spoiler

Etrian Odyssey IV:
Dungeon crawling 3DS RPG that has a large variety of classes with different builds which further branches out with subclasses. Be careful, you have a limited amount of skill points and you can't max out all skills so be sure to invest wisely (you can reset skill points at a cost). The game is balanced well and does a good job at keeping you on your toes throughout the game. There isn't much story in this game due to how NPCs dialogue only refreshes after each dungeon floor but it's not bad by any means. It is also a game where status effects are useful especially since it has special ones called "binds" which affect different body parts for friends and foes. They lower different stats and disable skills depending on which body part is affected. It can help stop enemies from using their charged up super attacks but can be deadly to your healers and attackers. The graphics hold up well and the music helps immerse you in the setting while being enjoyable to listen to.

► Show Spoiler

Vandal Hearts 1+2:
Vandal Hearts 1 is a PS1 game about a soldier who got blamed for the assassination of a royal family member. The sequel's story is better than the first but not related at all. The graphics may not look very pleasing but the combat makes up for it. It is a classic Tactical RPG where your units move on a grid to move or attack. What makes it special is the fact that you can't rely on grinding to beat the enemies and have to plan your moves ahead by paying attention to the layouts in each map. Each map does a good job of feeling unique to play through. Vandal Hearts 2 has an odd combat system that people either love or hate. I would recommend giving it a shot and if you don't like the combat, you can always use this mod to change it back like the first game. The music in the first game is fantastic while the second game has passable music through most of the game.

(https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/5400/)

► Show Spoiler

Chrono Trigger (DS version NOT the horrid Steam port):
While this game is absolutely overrated, it is still an exceptional game worth playing. It has the standard active time combat system as FF with a bit of a twist. You can attack multiple enemies at once since all your skills have area of effects on the battlefield instead of your standard targeting system. The same applies to you too. The story is your fairly standard JRPG shenanigans but there are a couple of twists here and there that will catch you off guard. The difficulty is on the easier side for the most part so don't expect any clever resource management or anything like that. Graphics and music are high quality and will be stuck in your head for a long time. I recommend the DS version since it has the most content and isn't buggy like the Steam port. (An all too common trend with Square Enix ports.)

► Show Spoiler

Skies of Arcadia Legends:
A cheesy Gamecube game that is enjoyable in all the right ways. You play as a Air Pirate who aspires to best person around and does a good job of being idealistic in an inspirational sort of way despite all the misery and grief encountered. It's refreshing compared to the media nowadays where all heroes feel morally grey in some fashion. The combat is simple but flows well so it doesn't drag on for too long. The encounter rate, on the other hand, can be stifling at times to the point where I recommend using the "White Map" accessory at all times or lower the encounter rate with items. The locales you visit are all visually impressive which is rare to see. The music is good although it sounds a bit subdued due to being posted poorly from the Dreamcast. I recommend playing with this mod since it allows for a better difficulty curve and a more satisfying battle system.

(https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/2859/)

► Show Spoiler

Golden Sun Series:
A fun series for the GBA that has an enjoyable story, fun combat, and neat puzzles. The story is about a young man who lives in a village full of unique magic users trying to chase down a pair of villains who caused several personal disasters. The combat system is a strange one where you can equip Djinns to boost stats and use them in battle at the costs of those stats to use powerful special skills. The game has a fair amount of side content available and unfortunately, a lot of missables as well due to story reasons. The visuals are alright for a GBA game but the music never gets old. Puzzles can get quite complicated later on.

► Show Spoiler

Live-A-Live (SNES version NOT the remake!):
A wonderful SNES RPG that does pretty much everything right. You play through 8 individual stories that involve different characters and timelines. All of the chapters play in a different way that make them stand out from one another. The difficulty will challenge you enough to be satisfying instead of frustrating. Music and graphics are exactly what you expect from a top quality SNES game. I chose the SNES version because the Remake was watered down in terms of difficulty for the "broader audience" and the dialogue is censored due to ******-slators at Square Enix.

(English Translation: https://romsfun.com/roms/super-nintendo ... -live.html)

► Show Spoiler

If you need any help with the patches or mods, feel free to reply asking for help so that I can provide pre-patched/molded versions of the game for you. I know it can be a bit overwhelming for people without much technology experience.

Or sleeping dogs for that matter?

The game is quite good but it lacks a bit of polish in certain areas due to the complicated development this game had. The hand-to-hand combat involves using blocks, grabs, and environmental objects to break the opponent's defenses which was fun. The gunfights are pretty similar to GTA except that more cover is involved and it is more satisfying to do while driving since kill people in more ways. Driving takes a while to get used to but it has a certain appeal to it once you do. It has a surprising amount of mission variety (like parkour chases, highjacking vehicles while driving, etc.) despite its similarities with GTA.

The story is predictable yet still engaging with the character development that happens along the way. One major feature that I enjoyed was exploring the city since it is small yet packed with great visuals to feast your eyes on. There is plenty of collectibles and side content to do so your exploration isn't in vain either.

Overall, I would say it’s a bit jank at times but still loads of fun that is worth experiencing (these types of games aren't common after all). It is just the right length so that it ends satisfying without the combat and driving getting too stale.

► Show Spoiler

[Kowe]

Finished Bowser's Fury 100 %. Sometimes more enjoyable than 3D World. Only made me want a sequel to Super Mario Sunshine.

Pros:

• Fluid movement and control of the character. Only Mario here. Same engine as Super Mario 3D World uses.
• Open World with 100 Cat Shines to collect. They do not overstay their welcome, despite some only being different variants of others.
• Post-game content after Bowser has been beaten a third time with the Giant Bell power-up. Accessed by having 50 Cat Shines.
• Bowser fights are well-designed. The final fights, pre-credits and post-game with 100 Cat shines, are the highlights.

Neutral

• 100 % Completion Duration: 10-15 hours.
• Power-Ups can be stored up to a maximum of 5 each. They include: Super Mushroom, Super Bell, Fire Flower, Boomerang, Super Leaf, Lucky Bell.
• Potted Piranha Plant and Ice Skate have a short reappearance. No Mega Mushroom or Double Cherry.
• Decent soundtrack. Not as great as 3D World or Galaxy. Favorite: Crisp Climb Castle

Cons:

• Similarly to 3D World, it lacks the depth other games of the IP. 64, Sunshine, Odyssey.
• The game can basically be completed with Super Bell/Lucky Bell and Super Leaf. It's overall difficulty is low to moderate.
• It's not a full-price game. More of a DLC.
• Doesn't really have replay value.

Verdict: 3/5. Middle to High Middle. Buy only used and when bundled with 3D World.

Already working on BG3 stuff again. A few choices for the next side game. Jak & Daxter or a few N64 titles.

[Brugmans]

Etrian Odyssey IV:
Dungeon crawling 3DS RPG that has a large variety of classes with different builds which further branches out with subclasses. Be careful, you have a limited amount of skill points and you can't max out all skills so be sure to invest wisely (you can reset skill points at a cost). The game is balanced well and does a good job at keeping you on your toes throughout the game. There isn't much story in this game due to how NPCs dialogue only refreshes after each dungeon floor but it's not bad by any means. It is also a game where status effects are useful especially since it has special ones called "binds" which affect different body parts for friends and foes. They lower different stats and disable skills depending on which body part is affected. It can help stop enemies from using their charged up super attacks but can be deadly to your healers and attackers. The graphics hold up well and the music helps immerse you in the setting while being enjoyable to listen to.

► Show Spoiler

I've been playing the first Etrian Odyssey for a few days now.
Exploring dungeons is fun but:

The tutorial part of the game tells you about how fleeing at the right time is a key skill for an adventurer, and in fact I really enjoyed how, while exploring the first floors, you're forced to manage your party's HP and TP so that you can make your way back without deaths. The attrition from random encounters puts you on a clock and stronger-than-average monsters can always knock someone out if you're unlucky.

Unfortunately the game soon enough introduced a cheap Town Portal item that lets you skip the return trip. I liked having to decide whether to go back or forwards, now I can only go forwards. It's true that nobody forces me to use it, but with expeditions only getting longer it would be masochistic.

They also put an NPC on floor 3 that fully restores your party's HP and TP. I don't understand why they did this: the only reason to even go back to town at this point is to sell loot and make space in your inventory. I find it much more satisfying to leave the dungeon with a party on the verge of exhaustion, than to leave because otherwise I have to drop Small Flowers to make room for Supple Hides. I would have much preferred a dungeon merchant.

Finally, the unavoidable FOEs are so much stronger than regular monsters that, in order to defeat them, my party gets to the point where random encounters are resolved in one turn spamming regular attacks. They only waste your time, so you can grind indefinitely walking up and down, if you're fine with earning less money. So basically I feel like the fun part of the game is getting less fun. I don't know though, maybe the game gets more interesting after the first real boss.
There are two sequels for DS that are more of the same so I hope I end up liking it.

[WhiteShark]

Finally, the unavoidable FOEs are so much stronger than regular monsters that, in order to defeat them, my party gets to the point where random encounters are resolved in one turn spamming regular attacks.

You're supposed to avoid the FOEs and come back to kill them later after you've advanced further in the dungeon and become stronger. That's the whole reason they're visible on the map.

[rusty_shackleford]

Etrian Odyssey IV:
Dungeon crawling 3DS RPG that has a large variety of classes with different builds which further branches out with subclasses. Be careful, you have a limited amount of skill points and you can't max out all skills so be sure to invest wisely (you can reset skill points at a cost). The game is balanced well and does a good job at keeping you on your toes throughout the game. There isn't much story in this game due to how NPCs dialogue only refreshes after each dungeon floor but it's not bad by any means. It is also a game where status effects are useful especially since it has special ones called "binds" which affect different body parts for friends and foes. They lower different stats and disable skills depending on which body part is affected. It can help stop enemies from using their charged up super attacks but can be deadly to your healers and attackers. The graphics hold up well and the music helps immerse you in the setting while being enjoyable to listen to.

► Show Spoiler

I've been playing the first Etrian Odyssey for a few days now.
Exploring dungeons is fun but:

The tutorial part of the game tells you about how fleeing at the right time is a key skill for an adventurer, and in fact I really enjoyed how, while exploring the first floors, you're forced to manage your party's HP and TP so that you can make your way back without deaths. The attrition from random encounters puts you on a clock and stronger-than-average monsters can always knock someone out if you're unlucky.

Unfortunately the game soon enough introduced a cheap Town Portal item that lets you skip the return trip. I liked having to decide whether to go back or forwards, now I can only go forwards. It's true that nobody forces me to use it, but with expeditions only getting longer it would be masochistic.

Have you played games like the original Wizardry series? It seems like you'd enjoy them.
For newer games, something like the Elminage Gothic/Stranger of Sword City are probably also up there. I suspect someone like @Kalarion might know more.

[Brugmans]

Etrian Odyssey IV:
Dungeon crawling 3DS RPG that has a large variety of classes with different builds which further branches out with subclasses. Be careful, you have a limited amount of skill points and you can't max out all skills so be sure to invest wisely (you can reset skill points at a cost). The game is balanced well and does a good job at keeping you on your toes throughout the game. There isn't much story in this game due to how NPCs dialogue only refreshes after each dungeon floor but it's not bad by any means. It is also a game where status effects are useful especially since it has special ones called "binds" which affect different body parts for friends and foes. They lower different stats and disable skills depending on which body part is affected. It can help stop enemies from using their charged up super attacks but can be deadly to your healers and attackers. The graphics hold up well and the music helps immerse you in the setting while being enjoyable to listen to.

► Show Spoiler

I've been playing the first Etrian Odyssey for a few days now.
Exploring dungeons is fun but:

The tutorial part of the game tells you about how fleeing at the right time is a key skill for an adventurer, and in fact I really enjoyed how, while exploring the first floors, you're forced to manage your party's HP and TP so that you can make your way back without deaths. The attrition from random encounters puts you on a clock and stronger-than-average monsters can always knock someone out if you're unlucky.

Unfortunately the game soon enough introduced a cheap Town Portal item that lets you skip the return trip. I liked having to decide whether to go back or forwards, now I can only go forwards. It's true that nobody forces me to use it, but with expeditions only getting longer it would be masochistic.

Have you played games like the original Wizardry series? It seems like you'd enjoy them.
For newer games, something like the Elminage Gothic/Stranger of Sword City are probably also up there. I suspect someone like @Kalarion might know more.

No, the only dungeon crawler I've played is a PSP one that I don't even remember the title of .
I will definitely try Wizardry at some point though, I know it's classic.

[rusty_shackleford]

No, the only dungeon crawler I've played is a PSP one that I don't even remember the title of .
I will definitely try Wizardry at some point though, I know it's classic.

The early Wizardry games are all about attrition, what you were describing made it seem like you'd enjoy them a lot.

[Acrux]

Both of those rusty mentioned are good. For QoL, the remastered Bard's Tale Trilogy can't be beat.

[Brugmans]

Finally, the unavoidable FOEs are so much stronger than regular monsters that, in order to defeat them, my party gets to the point where random encounters are resolved in one turn spamming regular attacks.

You're supposed to avoid the FOEs and come back to kill them later after you've advanced further in the dungeon and become stronger. That's the whole reason they're visible on the map.

The very first one is unavoidable (either that or I'm really dumb), and there are also the bosses.
_{(My reply got eaten so I hope it doesn't show up later as a double post.)}

EDIT: It is avoidable and I'm really dumb.