Top 20 Best RPG Series of All Time

#14. – Tengai Makyou – Far East of Eden

# of Good Games in the Franchise: 5

Active: No

No mainline installment of this franchise was ever released in the West. The original Tengai Makyou: Ziria, as well as part II, and Fuun Kabukiden were all released on the PC-Engine CD. This was one of the first RPG franchises released on the CD format, and made ample use of it. These games are rife with redbook audio, voice overs, and all are long quests. The next installment was released for the Super Famicom as a side story (and one of the most advanced titles for the platform) and finally we had a Sega Saturn exclusive.

There are no fan translations for this series (except for Zero). This is one of the franchises I had to use guides for. This means writing Japanese phrases on sticky notes for quick reference. The original Tengai Makyou: Ziria is a Dragon Quest clone of sorts but is enjoyable and charming in its own right. Tengai Makyou: Manji Maru is where things get incredible. This game grabbed me like few others have. The battle system and story are incredible and very gripping. Fuun Kabukiden is a side story starring the comic relief character but is my second favorite title in the series. I also love the Sega Saturn game because it takes place in a bizarro United States which is a real treat to explore.

The Best Way to Play:

Honestly you have to stick with the original releases here. There was a remake of Ziria for the Xbox 360 but this was only released in Japan and I haven’t had a chance to play it. Manji Maru had a remake for the PS2/Gamecube/DS, but these are less playable because of the language barrier. The others were released for the PSP and the same issue stands. Because of the language barrier and the availability of translation guides I recommend sticking with the original versions.