u/Flat-Application2272

Taking care of a batch of little bunnies that have sadly lost their mom.

I recently realised my favourite JRPG, Final Fantasy IX, has no real optional dungeons. I mean, unless you count the various Qu's Marshes (which I don't). The only other JRPG I can immediately think of that does that, is Legend of Legaia.

So, that got me thinking, what are some of the best optional dungeons in the JRPG genre? Personally, I've always been a big fan of the optional dungeons in the first two Shadow Hearts games. They're unique, generally have a light puzzle element to them and - very important - they don't wear out their welcome.

Another one I really like (but also dread) is the Labyrinth of Amala from Shin Megami Tensei: Lucifer's Call (Nocturne for you non-European folks). I'm generally not into games that are almost pure dungeon crawling, but there was something about the occult atmosphere and maze-like nature of the Kalpas that intrigued me. Something that made the PAL-region PS2 original especially nerve-wracking for me, was that there was a specific enemy configuration in the third kalpa that would completely freeze my console if I encountered it. Not sure if this was a common problem...

So, what about you?