I am currently playing this free game.
It is hard in terms of battling and there are numerous characters that you can recruit with a few quests.
It may not be for everyone so give it a try because it is free.
http://rpgmaker.net/games/1986/
EDIT: this game has a major bug after fighting Colossus boss and you get the balloon. You get stuck on the tower with the balloon and cannot move. Hopefully it will be fixed.