Mine is Xenoblade X. For all its flaws, I have never found a more fun world to explore. You spend hours exploring the map on foot, and then once you get your mech, it’s like the game completely changes scale in a way I’ve never experienced since.
Hard to answer for me. But if i have to choose one it would be Nier Automata. Everything works in that game for me. Best action battle system out of all games in my opinion. Incredible emotional story and interresting designed world with all it weird robots. But i really like other jrp’s as well on the same level.
I don’t think I have just one favorite. It’d go back and forth between Final Fantasy VI, Persona 4, and Xenogears. Trails to Azure might be getting up there too.
I replayed Xenogears recently, and I think it says a lot that it’s still my favorite story in gaming despite the last few chapters being super unpolished/unfinished. There’s some excellent character writing including a touching romance, and amazing narrative scope. While the gameplay is certainly messy, I still enjoy the gear battles and the soundtrack is absolutely top-notch.