What is your favorite Jrpg cutscene and why?

[Kage]

Hey game makers,

I am wondering what is your favorite Jrpg cutscene and why? What do you like about it? Or do you skip it and jump into the gameplay straight away?

 

[swordsvswords]

For me, most memorable cutsceens is in Pokemon Emerald, when Groudon and Kyogre fight, and then comes the third legendary Pokemon Rayquaza.

 

[Kage]

That is a fun cutscene, I remember how excited I was when I watched it for the first time.

 

[fop]

I'm gonna do a few because I can't choose just one. Also, um, Spoilers.

The cutscene that plays in Tales of Xillia when you beat Alvin is forever just SUCH a good cutscene to me! It's super emotional; you really get to see the characters grieving over a character they think is dead. Also the fangirl in me just gets really happy seeing the idiot machismo Alvin really breaking down.

Cutscene in FFVII Remake during the ghost chapter where Aerith is separated from Cloud and Tifa and we see her as a little girl, scared and lost during hide and seek. Aerith has never been a favorite of mine, but Remake really made her character just so delightful. I think that scene is really important because it adds a new layer of player-empathy for a character who is mostly kind of fun and mysterious.

FFVI Opera Scene, just because a break from the typical grind of battles and caves is so fun! Also the mapping is so gorgeous in the Opera House and the music is superb so it really all works together in a beautiful way.

Last one is in Tales of Phantasia and I really wanted to find a clip of this one since it's probably less well known, but I couldn't for the life of me so oh well. But it's when Cress buries Mint's mom in secret (because he couldn't tell Mint that her mom was dead), but Mint is watching from afar from like the bushes or behind a tree or something but AHHHH I always loved this scene because poor Mint! And also just the fact that she knows but neither of them talk about it until basically the end of the game is just so. Bah! Makes me feel things. I love how it adds more depth to Mint's character.

I guess big, emotional cutscenes are my favorite. I like the drama~

 

[alice_gristle]

FFVI Opera Scene, just because a break from the typical grind of battles and caves is so fun! Also the mapping is so gorgeous in the Opera House and the music is superb so it really all works together in a beautiful way.

+1


For me, FFV when Galuf is fighting Exdeath in, umm, the tree? I know it's supa cheesy but still gets me every time! Yes, I like cheese, cheese is good.

EDIT: Oh yea, I forgot the "why I like it" part. I, um, like it cuz

Spoiler: Spoilers for FFV

Galuf dies but he goes on like IT'S GLOOOORIOUS AND so much cheese and he's like, YO MISTER, it's not jus' bout the stats, if you have LOVE you can defeat STATS and that's when ya know Exdeath is gonna eat it! (Anyway then I bungle the late game and rage quit at Neo Exdeath and play something else.)

 

[Iron_Brew]

There is only one true contender for the crown:

Nah but seriously, there's too many to choose from! I love the openings of Tales of Symphonia and Tales of Vesperia a lot - and there's a lot of stuff in the Xenoblade series that's like PUNCH THE AIR good.

In fact, basically everything in Persona 5 is perfection. When they're escaping the collapsing pyramid? Genius.

I feel like this is almost impossible to answer!

EDIT: Changed my mind, it's the final cutscene of FF9 disc 1, where Kuja walks through your defeated party. That's my favourite.

 

[Kage]

Last one is in Tales of Phantasia and I really wanted to find a clip of this one since it's probably less well known, but I couldn't for the life of me so oh well. But it's when Cress buries Mint's mom in secret (because he couldn't tell Mint that her mom was dead), but Mint is watching from afar from like the bushes or behind a tree or something but AHHHH I always loved this scene because poor Mint! And also just the fact that she knows but neither of them talk about it until basically the end of the game is just so. Bah! Makes me feel things. I love how it adds more depth to Mint's character.

Wow, I didn't know that there was a Cutscene like that in tales of phantasia but I only played SNES version.

 

[Kage]

There is only one true contender for the crown:

Nah but seriously, there's too many to choose from! I love the openings of Tales of Symphonia and Tales of Vesperia a lot - and there's a lot of stuff in the Xenoblade series that's like PUNCH THE AIR good.

In fact, basically everything in Persona 5 is perfection. When they're escaping the collapsing pyramid? Genius.

I feel like this is almost impossible to answer!

EDIT: Changed my mind, it's the final cutscene of FF9 disc 1, where Kuja walks through your defeated party. That's my favourite.

You are right, I think there is plenty of good cutscenes in Xenoblade especially #2 because that's the only one I played. I remember how engaging and dramatic they were and kept me going to find out more.

I'm yet to try out FF9 but I am waiting for a switch remake.

 

[Storyteller-Hero]

The opening cutscene of FFIV is memorable for me since it brought airships into the limelight of fantasy like nothing else before.

 

[freakytapir]

FF XIV has two, but I do have a favorite. Yes, it's an MMO, but you do all the story bits beyong dungeons solo anyway, so whatever. It's more a jRPG than an MMO, so I count it.

The scene right before the Endsinger Battle.

Spoiler: Endwalker spoilers

It requires a lot of set-up. But it's the culmination of ten years of worldbuilding and story.
It gives each of your party members a small moment of near awesome, but the final boss is relentless. Everyone is dying. You sacrifice yourself by teleporting everyone away, and preparing to face the boss alone. Just as the villain is doing his final speech, you hear a loud thud at the edge of the pocket dimension you re in. The thuds grow louder and louder, shattering the wall of the boss' self created dimension. In comes flying your archenemesis, who fused his body with that of a primal dragon to fly to the edge of existence just to have his own personal fight with you. He takes one look at the final boss and goes:
"I assume this is your quarry? Then why does it still live? I thought you above something as banal as despair."
Your ****ing blood knight arch enemy rides to the edge of the ****ing universe to 1v1 you, and the first thing he says is : Why isn't that dead yet?
Next thing you know you jump on his back and ride a 200 ft dragon to battle the incarnation of exitential despair.

 

[M.I.A.]

Do intro's count?..

-MIA

 

[Ji_Tealeaf]

I’m going to piggyback on @fop ’s post but my favorite scene is also from Tales of Xillia and spoileriffic. It’s the one with Alvin and Elize on the swingset in Elympios, where Alvin has come to terms with needing to completely overhaul his life. He’s grown and changed so much by being around the rest of the party, and it’s a very powerful, very moving scene. Elize’s acceptance, when she’s been the hardest one on him the whole time (and he’s deserved every bit of it) is so gentle and tender and sweet.

Long story short: play Tales of Xillia. Just … play Tales of Xillia.

 

[fop]

@Kage It's in the PSX version! Much more fleshed out character interactions in general.

 

[HOLYMOTHER]

Many mentions of Final Fantasy but none of my favorite, FFX, which had some amazing cutscenes, like that one where they grind the harpoon cables from the airship down to Bevelle like they're wearing Soap shoes.

One part of that FMV, where Tidus does the flip, was in every single trailer and commercial for that game, like this one:


And this one:

 

[DrBuni]

I don't like cutscenes, there are better ways to tell the story, but if I have to choose, it is the conception from the beginning of Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne.

 

[Iron_Brew]

I was wrong before, but right about the game! This is it. The greatest cutscene in JRPG history!

 

[SOC]

Last one is in Tales of Phantasia and I really wanted to find a clip of this one since it's probably less well known, but I couldn't for the life of me so oh well. But it's when Cress buries Mint's mom in secret (because he couldn't tell Mint that her mom was dead), but Mint is watching from afar from like the bushes or behind a tree or something but AHHHH I always loved this scene because poor Mint! And also just the fact that she knows but neither of them talk about it until basically the end of the game is just so. Bah! Makes me feel things. I love how it adds more depth to Mint's character.

Dang, I never finished the PSX version so I never knew about this scene. I don't remember it from the GBA or SNES versions either, but I love that. Wish we could get a translated PSP version, I wonder if it's in that one?