The PS1 RPG "Canon"

Kazin Illusion of Gaia's prequel Soul Blazer has partly similar themes as Alundra - you go into dreams at one point. Maybe that's what you're thinking of?

Oh yeah, 100% support Xenogears. For my money, it's the best turn-based RPG on the PSX. I always say that Xenogears is the best flawed game ever made, in that unlike, say, Chrono Trigger, it has clear, important flaws - the last disc, the overlong dungeons (though they are few and far between), particularly the very tedious sewers - but what's good is so good that is doesn't matter. I played it in the mid-'00s, already an adult, and it was the first game where I was excited to wake up in the morning just because I'd get to play it some more since I'd been a kid. 

I kind of hate Breath of Fire IV, but I love II (on the SNES) and III. If you like the SNES games, III is in the same vein.

I'm also a fan of the first Suikoden. Suikoden 2 gets all the love because it's the bigger game, but I prefer the first for how fast-paced and breezy it feels. More turn-based RPGs should have taken after it. The attack animations having multiple characters attack simultaneously so you don't have to wait for each character's turn is a great example. Also, the whole 108 recruitable characters thing is just more impressive the first time around. But yeah, if you want a tun-based RPG that never drags, Suikoden is your best option.

Parasite Eve is barely a RPG, but it's a very good game, and there's nothing else like it. For me it encapsulates a certain late '90s Japanese vibe like nothing else - the cinematic ambition, the sense of mystery, the general vibe. It feels more like an action-adventure with a RPG-ish battle system. At the time, a lot of people dismissed the sequel for being more of a standard survival horror with fewer RPG elements, but I found it to be a great game when I played it recently. I really wouldn't call P2 a RPG, so it's more of a general recommendation.

I like Granstream Saga. Quirky 3D action RPG with a cool, sky-like atmosphere reminiscent of Soul Blazer and Actraiser (it was made by some of the same folks, Shade being an offshoot of Quintet). Takes place on a floating island. The battle system is unique, as all battles are one-on-one duels. 


I'd say those are my top choices.

Kazin

If you're going to suffer through Alundra, I recommend at least playing via the Un-Worked Designs patch:

www.mediafire.com/file/4i2qevad5626dyx/Alundra+Un-Worked+Design+v1.zip

It restores the enemy stats to what they were in the Japanese original. Working Designs had a bad habit of screwing with stuff like that when they "localized" Japanese games.

Yes the Arc the Lad games on PS1 are SRPGs. I have only beaten the first Arc the Lad, it was a decent 7/10. Sarge and Xeogred often say Arc the Lad 2 is awesome though, so I intend to keep going with the series eventually. Though if you want to play the best SRPG on PS1, that would be Front Mission 3. Unless you're allergic to mechs.

As for the Breath of Fire games, on PS1 I've only beaten BoF3, and frankly outside its nice graphics/OST the actual scenario/game designs were crap. BoF4 is likely much better, but I've not played it. Xeogred often praises BoF4 though.

The first Suikoden is a great JRPG. The best thing about it, is its brisk pacing (super fast battle system). You will likely beat it in about 20 hours, because all the fat was cut out. I wish all JRPGs had such great pacing and respect for the player's time investment.

Soul Blazer is an excellent action-RPG on SNES, mandatory gaming! What other action-RPGs have you beaten on SNES/SFC though? It's possible there's more good ones you've missed out on.

Anyway, just to be clear, my #1 pick as BEST RPG on PS1 is Vagrant Story. It is phenomenal. It's also a game you should read the manual for. A lot of people couldn't figure out the weapon creation system and got nowhere in the game, giving up in frustration. I'm betting you're smarter than that though.

I'm not a fan of Terranigma. I think it's retroactively overrated buoyed by forbidden fruit syndrome. But most people love it, so YMMV.

For my tastes, the best action-RPGs on SNES/SFC are Front Mission: Gun Hazard*, Brandish 2: The Planet Buster*, Brain Lord, Demon's Crest, Soul Blazer and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

I also enjoyed Alcahest* and Ys V*, which while not being "amazing" were still better than Terranigma.

*All of these have full English fan translations available.

I'm on team Terranigma myself. Fantastic game that I actually replayed last year. I've probably finished it four or five times at this point.

But yeah, if you love Shining Force, Arc the Lad should be right up your alley. As mentioned earlier, the first game is more of a short snack, and AtL2 just improves pretty much everything. I prefer SF to FFT/Fire Emblem myself, so they were a ton of fun. There's also Twilight of the Spirits on PS2, which plays out just a little differently, but is still a great time. Avoid End of Darkness, though, as it's a clunker of an ARPG.

Highly recommend Brandish: Dark Revenant on PSP. Ex finally got me to give it run, and I didn't regret it. And yes, the non-instant turns improve things significantly.