So I've been thinking about those japanese games you are all so excited about. Should I, like, try some of them out? I don't like the anime aesthetic at all but I think I would be able to look past that if the games themselves are good enough. So basically I'm looking for recommendations on japanese games. I mostly enjoy turn-based strategy and role-playing games but I wouldn't mind recommendations in other genres.
Trails in the Sky would be great then. RPG with turn-based combat. The first game is usually pretty cheap in sales and the series is unparalleled in world-building and making the world feel alive. Estelle is an
excellent protagonist too.
If you want to branch out a bit, The House in Fata Morgana is an easily recommendable Visual Novel. The story is absolutely fantastic and tackles some very mature themes in a surprisingly... well, mature manner. Also pretty much lacks all the tropes people think of when they think of 'bad anime'.
Xanadu Next is an excellent old-school-ish Action-RPG slash Dungeon Crawler that doesn't focus too much on story, but when it does it's great too.
LiEat, despite what the capsule picture might imply, is short, emotional and touching mystery adventure in a very unique and interesting world with very very
very light RPG elements.
I have played shamefully little of it yet, but even so I can say that Scarlet Grace is excellent. It's a very non-linear game with lots of reactivity in the world depending on your choices and a very tactical and rewarding battle system, and it does not waste your time with meaningless trash fights or running through big-but-empty areas.
Valkyria Chronicles is also a very good suggestion.