Favorite JRPGs: Wild ARMS 3 - the single best entry in this Weird West mixed with science fiction roleplaying series, with the best story-line, character personalities, and gameplay to create the perfect Desert Punk game in my opinion. The whole setting works well as a fantasy world except given the aesthetics and sensibilities of a gun-toting frontier with railroads being one of the few methods of connecting far flung outposts and villages of civilizations with each other and the ruins of a land on the brink of collapse, all while the storyline and characters do their best to approach the usual fare of the JRPG genre and shake it up a bit to put a unique spin on things.
Persona 5 - seriously, do I need to explain why I love this game? Since Persona 3, each game has steadily improved upon the past games and innovated in its own when it comes to this modern fantasy JRPG series - whereas Persona 3's dungeon gameplay was a right pain in the ass to dig through to get to the story due to random party actions and brutal difficulties and 4's gameplay was held back only by the occasionally aggravating and twisting dungeon, 5 made the choice to create set dungeons that perfectly encapsulate each one of their creators's mindsets while still having random generation for the optional (but highly recommended for training and side-quests) dungeon. Persona 3 had hit or miss social links that, while nice when they worked, certainly had some solid duds, and 4 had only one expressly bad social link that was a yawn, 5 set up its social links perfectly with all of their characters being enjoyable to interact with and get to know.
Dragon Quest VIII - the absolute best of the classic, granddaddy JRPG series with one of the best remakes I've ever seen for an already superb game. Simple but still engaging narrative, great personalities in your party members (Angelo's a manhoe, but I love him all the same), and excellent, refined gameplay that gets the formula right for a JRPG. The 3DS fixes up some the more annoying bits of the game, along with adding an additional two team members to your party and additional side quests you can partake in, all while leaving the underlying core of enjoyable content in perfect shape.
Favorite Action RPGs: Bloodborne and Witcher 3, hands down, though for very different yet strangely reasons. Witcher 3 nails down the idea of playing a role given to you as a player and actor in the game's events; you are Geralt of Rivia, choosing the course of events and deciding who lives and who dies, all while making the most important decision of your life, whether you should play another round of Gwent or finally hunt down the werewolf who devoured his own wife. The mechanics of the game remind you that you are, despite the mutations of being a Witcher, still a man, necessitating that you seek every advantage through investigation and preparation to hunt down the quarry you hunt, whether it be a mad king who enjoys the sound of blood draining or a vampiric foe preying upon the poor through his position. Bloodborne, likewise, serves to emphasize your role in the often unspoken narrative of its world; a poor soul who came for salvation from disease, yet forced to endure a seemingly endless night of terror and bloodshed as you gradually become numb to the Hunt's horrors and even relish the depraved acts of brutality you engage in. A gothic setting that emphasizes the Lovecraftian beasts gazing down upon you, slowly driving you towards a madness of either feral hunting or transformation into one of their kind, creating the perfect grim atmosphere for a journey to seek freedom from the nightmare you've found yourself in.
Favorite Strategy Games: Red Alert 2 - better to be dead than red, but what's even better than that? Fighting the Reds in an alternate timeline where Hitler never rose to power because Einstein went back in time to kill him, leaving the Soviets to grow in power as the West watched in worry. Cue an ongoing cold turned brutally war as GIs and conscripts fight throughout Europe, America, and even on the moon as their nations build super weapons that control the freaking weather, all while a evil mastermind manipulates the events behind the scenes, waiting for his chance to strike as you, the commander, lead your chosen side to victory over the other.
Nobunaga's Ambition - I make it a point to pick up every release and expansion for this series that comes out in English, just because I can't get enough of glorious conquest during the Sengoku Jidai. The Iron Triangle is almost certainly the best given the chance to completely alter history by having folks like Nobunaga not die at their stated point or by having clans splinter or remain strong through simple choices made when such events might occur, but none of the games I've had for this series have ever really disappointed me. Sphere of Influence with its Ascension expansion has really been a blast since you've been able to play the game from the unique perspective of an officer working their way up in rank, leading to new potential scenarios and challenges as you seek to unite Japan through diplomacy or bloody conquest.
Valkyria Chronicles - Holy shit, a strategy RPG like Fire Emblem (another favorite, but won't be the list because of VC here) but mixed with strong shooter gameplay with a strong narrative, challenging gameplay, and a likable cast of soldiers that make you want to save them every time (except Rosie, there's a point that she finally just gets unbearable with her rudeness and is only redeemed by certain plot spoilers). An HD remake that allows me to play it on my PS4 whenever I want? What's not to love here? The only way Valkyria Chronicles could be any better is if we got the second and third games in English and on a home console, because we need more of the good times with this series - Azure Revolution can die in a hole though.
Blood Bowl 2 - Literally, fantasy football in the Warhammer 40k universe where the chance for death is ever present for both your and the enemies' players. You can have a dwarf on a giant lawnmower run over and grind up an Ork boy - why would you ever hate this concept or the game that has it in it? It at the very least changes up the monotony of playing the latest Madden release and keeps you from supporting EA, so why not give it a try at some point.