I don't know why, but this is the time of year I always feel more like playing JRPGs than any other kind of game. I guess it's because there's an inherent coziness to JRPGs for me even when the subject matter is anything but (looking at you Shin Megami Tensei games.) This winter, I've decided the first JRPG I'll be playing is Dragon Quest III: HD-2D Remake.
Dragon Quest III:HD-2D Remake is obviously a remake of the original Dragon Quest (or Warrior) III for the Famicom/NES. I've been having a lot of fun with it, especially since it has something of a rudimentary class system. My first Dragon Quest was Dragon Quest VIII for the Playstation 2, but I never truly got into the series until Dragon Quest IX for the Nintendo DS. There's just a comforting charm to these games that you don't really get anywhere else in the RPG space.
I really love that these games don't really change a whole lot of the basics between titles. There may or may not be class systems or something like a skill tree to make characters feel different, but it's still a JRPG-ass JRPG where you and a bunch of adorable monsters are taking turns wailing on each other. That's not the only way a JRPG can be played, of course. Some games have more flourish and panache like the Persona series. Some games have more active action like Paper Mario, where you're timing your hits. Some JRPGs aren't made in Japan at all, but follow the same framework and reference points (Clair Obscur:Expedition 33 comes to mind.) Regardless of the kind of JRPG, they give me warm feelings that help me deal with the other things that are always happening this time of year (increased work stress, holidays, family, etc.)