RPGs are amazing. Longform storytelling, large casts of well-defined characters, and fleshed-out, living, breathing worlds make them easy examples to point to when someone questions whether video games should count as art. Japanese RPGs have garnered a reputation for codifying and elevating aspects of the genre; incorporating expressive anime styles, impeccably produced soundtracks, deep themes, experimental gameplay, and an inevitable fight with Satan/God/Cthulu in space or something.
For the purposes of this list, “JRPGs” are not limited to Japanese games. Rather, any RPGs that capture the spirit of the subgenre are eligible. They don’t have to be turn-based or have a scene where a peaceful town gets turned into a crater; they just need to incorporate some elements (and they can’t all be Final Fantasy!). The team have attempted to find a balance between the obscure and the familiar, the old and the new. Some titles will be classics that need no introduction, others are less well-known that we think deserve your time. In no particular order, here are forty JRPGs that you should check out.
1. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King – Azza
Don’t hate, appreci-VIII
Dragon Quest VIII has aged rather gracefully, considering it’s over twenty years old now. The combat has that familiar feel the series is known for, and the story is engaging, with characters that are humorous and interesting. Yangus is one of my personal favourites for his banta levels and general bizarre nature.
Dragon Quest VIII is often recommended as a great starting point for people who are new to JRPGs, and it’s easy to see why. It has a shorter length than the genre average and has a simple levelling system that’s easy to understand.
The gameplay is also very simple to understand, being similar to games such as Final Fantasy IX. The combat early on isn’t exactly fancy, but once you start levelling, you can obtain a large variety of skills to destroy your enemies.
If you are new to the genre, then start with Dragon Quest VIII; the 3DS version has more content, but it doesn’t look or sound as good as the PS2 version, so pick your poison. Either way, go play it.
2. Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix – Azza
Second coolest Disney entity after Powerline
Kingdom Hearts is a complex series that might make your head spin, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a go. (We’ve put Kingdom Hearts II here, but honestly, Birth by Sleep could have also been here as well)
With familiar faces from the Disney franchise combined with Final Fantasy characters, you might think this was a narcotic-filled fever dream that should have been canned long before production. However, you are wrong, the story is great and all the characters work well together, albeit in a way that’s jarring at first and grows on you and eventually wins you over.
The Gameplay from the second game onwards is fun and erratic, with magic and melee combat easy to use and abuse. It’s near Dynasty Warriors level carnage, just more complex and reserved. The worlds you visit are all faithfully recreated here. It feels like you’re actually living a Disney movie, and I love it.
Overall, we recommend the Final Mix version as it has the most content and the best visuals. This game comes with the 1.5 and 2.5 remix collection available on all modern platforms.
3. Persona 3: Reload – Riley
Memento Mori
While Persona 5 may have stolen the show and brought broad appeal to the franchise, Persona 3 has a much deeper and tragic story with characters that feel more like real people than archetypes. This entry solidified the modern Persona formula and introduced many of the features you may take for granted in its sequels. The recent remake Reload would then go on to incorporate a lot of the features its sequels and sister series would later introduce.
Reload takes heavy topics and pushes them into a colourful and bombastic package, but with the nuance such topics require. Life, death, acceptance, these are all brought to the limelight and memento mori is a huge theme here. If you haven’t heard the term, memento mori means remember you must die, forcing us to acknowledge our mortality. Even as the game progresses, you’ll notice the colours bleed away, the music becomes sombre and still as you face your fate. But death is inevitable; you cannot outrun it.
It has a stellar soundtrack, quality of life changes, and FES content like ‘The Answer’. However, it unfortunately falls short of being the complete experience as it’s missing the female protagonist from Portable. It’s still an incredible title regardless, and while it may not be as flashy as its younger sibling, it has a story full of heart and sadness that should be experienced by any fan of the genre. Plus, if you enjoy this, Persona 4 Revival hits shelves next year, so you can tackle them in chronological order through the remakes if you so desire.
4. Chrono Trigger – Kane
Timeless Time Travelling
Chrono Trigger is one of those once-in-a-lifetime media pieces that had the perfect, all-star team working on it.
Akira Toriyama on Character Design? Yes please! Nobuo Uematsu on Music? Hell yes! Yoshinori Kitase Directing? Wait, who’s that? I’m kidding. But that wasn’t even all the big names involved here. Check out the credits if you don’t believe me.
Following the story of the titular Chrono, you embark on a time-hopping adventure as you attempt to save your world from a threat on a cosmic level. Chrono Trigger is well known for pushing what was possible on the SNES with dynamic battles, groundbreaking story elements, and a cast of characters yet to be topped.
5. Tales of Vesperia – Azza
What do you mean Yuri Lowell isn’t voiced by Yuri Lowenthal!?
Tales of Vesperia was an unexpected breath of fresh air for me. It has a very well-voiced cast of characters who are all extremely fleshed out over the course of the story. Characters such as Yuri grow along the course of the story, and Yuri’s backstory is also well fleshed out.
The soundtrack is also well polished and keeps the towns, dungeons and outdoor areas feeling alive. The opening cutscene is arguably the best of the entire game. It makes most anime openings look awful in comparison.
Gameplay-wise, I would describe it as being similar to Star Ocean: The Last Hope in terms of combat. The fighting can be really technical, requiring you to pull off complex moves to fight effectively, and some combat encounters can really test your skill. I will admit I find the combat rather difficult, but persistence will get you through most encounters.
Overall, this is definitely not one to be missed and is something I can wholeheartedly recommend. You should opt for the definitive as it contains extra content such as characters and costumes, as well as better performance.
6. The World Ends With You – Riley
There is no land as fantastical as downtown Shibuya
Few games are worthy of being listened to for their music without even having played them, but this is one of them. The World Ends With You is defined by its music; its jazzy rock infusion of early 00s J-Rock is catchy and lovingly enchanting. Whether you find ‘Calling’ catchy or you enjoy the tantalising tunes of ‘Twister’, you’ll have a new favourite coming out the other side.
The story is poignant, following Neku, a selfish and isolated guy, into a tale of reflection, teamwork and connection with others. By participating in the Reapers’ Game in an alternate version of Shibuya, he meets others struggling through the same battle and learns the importance of friendship and opens up. The story ultimately teaches us and the characters that life is a reflection of your own decisions and the connections you make to others.
It’s a Wonderful World
The gameplay is incredibly unique, heavily utilising the touch screen of the DS or Switch to battle using pins attached to the characters that have unique effects. Touching and swiping the screen in different gestures is the key to victory, but the pins also have use outside of battle. Whilst exploring Shibuya, you need to discover and interact with the thoughts of others to progress the story. It’s hard to really explain what’s so appealing about the gameplay, but once you try it, it all clicks together in a satisfying way.
7. Breath of Fire IV – Kane
Spicy, but still fresh
Capcom’s Breath of Fire series, similar to the Final Fantasy franchise, is a series of standalone games that don’t tend to ever interact with each other but contain similar themes, iconography and characters.
For my money, I’d say that IV is the best we’ve got from Breath of Fire.
Its core roster of party members is my favourite in the series, and its retention and evolution of the 2D art style when its contemporaries had already leapt to 3D makes it stand out. My favourite aspect of this particular entry is the depiction of the Dragons: every one you encounter has a wholly unique design pulling inspiration from multiple cultures across the world. As your party make it their mission to find the dragons to borrow their power, it becomes a primary draw of the game to find out what the next dragon looks like.
8. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door – Dave
This is what I mean by “2D Mario game“
It wouldn’t feel right to have a gaming list of greats without the moustachioed plumber showing up somewhere, and while some may argue that Mario & Luigi or Super Mario RPG hit greater heights, I, like everyone with common sense, disagree. The Paper Mario series of RPGs reimagines the characters as paper cut-outs in a world resembling a pop-up book. The simple but crisp designs give the game a timeless look that’s arguably aged even better than other stylised games like the cel-shaded Wind Waker and Okami.
Thousand-Year Door is the strongest instalment. It has all the standard RPG bells and whistles of the first game, and my favourite cast of characters, locales, and situations.
With a distinctive art style and writing that ironically makes the characters more three-dimensional than they’ve ever been, the game feels both familiar and fresh. I recommend the Switch version. The English localisation preserved the transgender status of one of the characters, which was sadly missing in the English version on GameCube.
9. Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time – Riley
I’m getting political. This entire plot hinges on the Baby Mario Bros being vaccinated. Based.
It wouldn’t feel right to have a gaming list of greats without the moustachioed plumber showing up somewhere, and while some may argue that Paper Mario or Super Mario RPG hit greater heights, I, for one, disagree. Mario & Luigi titles are the perfect blend between turn-based action, world-building exploration and puzzle-solving to the beautiful works of Yoko Shimomura.
While my choice here is a little irregular, in my humble opinion, the time-travelling shenanigans of the bros and their baby counterparts bring a lot of humour and puzzle-solving possibilities that wouldn’t be doable in the normal games. The game also features very little dialogue, which, for a JRPG, is a rare feat, but it still manages to tell a rich story, which is pretty damn impressive.
10. Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling – Dave
The best A Bug’s Life RPG and the best Beetleborgs game
It wouldn’t feel right to have a list of gaming greats without everyone’s favourite bee, dung beetle, and moth. Bug Fable is something of a spiritual successor to the classic Paper Mario RPG formula. The humour, button-prompt-laden battles, and 2D characters are perfectly replicated. The world of anthropomorphic bugs is a bit more interesting than Paper Mario’s, too, despite how weird those got with their IP.
Whether you’re an entomologist looking for more well-researched insect representation or just looking to support a game carrying the torch of old-school Paper Mario while Nintendo explores more uncharted waters, there’s really no reason not to check out Bug Fables.
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