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Here are a few of the best JRPGs to play in the year 2023. Japanese Role-Playing Games, or JRPGs, are still some of the most popular and well-known games. Best can mean different things to different people, but the best JRPG has an interesting story, new and fun game mechanics, and a world full of things to find.
Even though this list has more than forty items, there’s a good reason for that. Each game chosen is new, well-known, and just a lot of fun. So that this list doesn’t have to be twice as long, we decided to only include up to three games from each series on the list of best JRPGs. We like to think that we are good at adding things if we think they are important.
Best JRPGs Comparison Table
| Game Title | Genre | Mode | Platform | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final Fantasy VII | RPG | Single-player | Multiple | $19.99 |
| Chrono Trigger | RPG | Single-player | Multiple | $14.99 |
| Persona 5 Royal | RPG | Single-player | PS4 | $59.99 |
| NieR: Automata | Action RPG | Single-player | Multiple | $39.99 |
| Fire Emblem: Three Houses | Tactical RPG | Single-player | Nintendo Switch | $59.99 |
| Yakuza: Like A Dragon | Action-Adventure RPG | Single-player | Multiple | $59.99 |
| Radiant Historia | RPG | Single-player | Nintendo 3DS | $39.99 |
| Xenogears | RPG | Single-player | PlayStation | $9.99 |
Final Fantasy VII
| Feature | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Processor | Apple M1 chip with 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU |
| Memory | 8GB or 16GB unified memory |
| Storage | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB SSD |
| Display | 13.3-inch or 16-inch Retina display |
| Resolution | 2560×1600 (13.3-inch), 3072 |
The seventh game in the Final Fantasy series is nothing less than a breakthrough. FF7 is the most important JRPG ever made. It is widely thought to have made the role-playing genre more popular and helped boost sales of the PlayStation all over the world.
Not only did the game add new features like Materia and Limit Breaks, but it was also the first Final Fantasy game to have 3D graphics and full-motion video with 3D models placed on pre-rendered backgrounds. Unlike the previous games in the series, Final Fantasy 7 took place in a steampunk science fiction world, which set the stage for Cloud’s timeless story.
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The Good
- Legendary story that has captivated gamers for decades
- The game has beautiful graphics and a new sound track.
- Characters who are deep, complicated, and have their own stories
- Immersive world-building that lets people explore and find out more about it
The Bad
- The game mechanics can feel a little bit old.
- Some parts of the story may be hard to understand.
Chrono Trigger
| Feature | Requirement |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows 7/8/10 (64-bit) |
| Processor | Intel Core i3 2.0 GHz or higher |
| Memory | 2 GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260 or ATI Radeon HD 4850 with 512 MB VRAM |
| Storage | 2 GB available space |
Chrono Trigger is an RPG for the SNES that came out in 1995. It was made by a powerful group that Square called the “Dream Team.” Chrono Trigger was made by the creator of the Final Fantasy series, Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of Dragon Quest, Yuji Horii, and the author of the Dragon Ball manga, Akira Toriyama.
The result was an epic sci-fi adventure like no other. In Chrono Trigger, the main character, Chrono, and his party travel through time to try to stop a disaster from happening to the whole world. The story takes place in a world that is similar to Earth. It goes through many different times in history, such as the prehistoric age, the middle ages, and a dark post-apocalyptic future.
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The Good
- The story is interesting and the characters are easy to remember.
- Different ways to play and fight than other games
- There is replay value because the game has multiple endings and branches.
The Bad
- Some people might think the game mechanics are old.
- Sometimes the pace is slow.
Persona 5 Royal
| Feature | Requirement |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows 7/8/10 (64-bit) |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-2300 or AMD FX-6350 |
| Memory | 6 GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 or AMD Radeon HD 7870 with 2 GB VRAM |
| Storage | 40 GB available space |
This groundbreaking JRPG was first released in 2017 as Persona 5. It has a cast of characters who defy authority and fight their fates. As the Phantom Thieves, these teens go into the cognitive world, wake up their Personas, and stop abusive adults from threatening their lives.
Persona 5’s story gets deeper with every arc, and the social links give the player ways to build their party and tell the stories of their allies. Persona 5 Royal is a new version of the game for PS4 with a lot of improvements. Royal is not a typical re-release, but a great addition to the first game.
You can download this game from here
The Good
- Storyline is interesting and characters are well-developed.
- The game is a unique mix of RPG and social sim gameplay.
The Bad
- Some people might find the pace slow.
NieR: Automata
| Feature | Requirement |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows 7/8.1/10 (64-bit) |
| Processor | Intel Core i3 2100 or AMD A8-6500 |
| Memory | 4 GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 VRAM 2GB or AMD Radeon R9 270X VRAM 2GB |
| Storage | 50 GB available space |
Three different androids, 2B, 9S, and A2, star in this sad real-time RPG. Their mission was to come back to Earth from space and get rid of all the Machines in the world after the end of the world. Along the way, though, they start to figure out what their real goal is.
Even though the story is very different from NieR, which came before it, there are a number of references in this story. Existentialism and nihilism are present throughout the story, and a lot of the main story and side quests end in tragedy. NieR: Automata is easily one of the best JRPGs of the last decade.
You can download this game from here
The Good
- Characters that stand out and a story that keeps you interested
- Different ways to play and fight than other games
- The graphics and sound are stunning.
- There are a lot of hidden secrets and areas that encourage exploration and discovery.
The Bad
- The PC port can have bugs and needs to be tweaked to work right.
- Some people might think the fighting is boring or not deep enough.
- Storylines can sometimes be confusing or hard to follow.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
| Feature | Requirement |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 (64-bit) |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-8250U or AMD Ryzen 5 2500U |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce MX150 or AMD Radeon Vega 8 |
| Storage | 12 GB available space |
Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a great addition to the long-running JRPG strategy series. The different paths you can take make it a game that begs to be played again and again. In Fodlan, you play the role of a professor who can teach at one of three different houses.
Each house is run in a different way, and each group of students has its own personality, history, and story to tell. With its grid-based combat system, you have to use all of your students strategically to win each battle. Each student’s fighting style can also be changed and improved when you’re not on the battlefield.
You can download this game from here
The Good
- Characters who are deep, complicated, and have their own stories
- Gameplay that is both fun and strategic
The Bad
- Some people might think the story moves too slowly.
Yakuza: Like A Dragon
| Feature | Requirement |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows 8.1/10 (64-bit) |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-3470 or AMD FX-8350 |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 or AMD Radeon HD 7870 |
| Storage | 40 GB available space |
Yakuza: Like a Dragon, is one of the best main characters we’ve seen in recent years. Ichi is a big fan of RPGs like Dragon Quest, so we see the world through his eyes. This makes this Yakuza adventure its own JRPG. Ichiban’s quests are a departure from the beat-em-up action that has been a mainstay of Yakuza games in the past.
They are full of humor and pay homage to classic JRPGs. With a cast of likeable and oddball characters, Like a Dragon’s take on turn-based combat is hard not to love. It takes the idea of a party and runs with it so well, and it makes it so easy to get close to the people you fight with.
You can download this game from here
The Good
- A new hero and RPG elements give the Yakuza series a new look.
- Storyline is interesting and characters are well-made.
- Beautiful graphics and unique art style
- Gameplay mechanics that are fun and entertaining
The Bad
- Some people might think the battle system is too simple.
- Some minigames and side quests may be boring or have no point.
- May not be interesting to people who haven’t read the Yakuza series.
Radiant Historia
| Feature | Requirement |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows 7/8/10 (64-bit) |
| Processor | Intel Core 2 Duo 2.66 GHz or AMD Phenom II X2 2.6 GHz |
| Memory | 4 GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce 9600 GT or AMD Radeon HD 3850 |
| Storage | 1 GB available space |
The first game on this list of the best JRPGs of all time is Radiant Historia. It’s a great handheld game that builds on the original DS game and is full of beautiful game worlds and stories that Tolkien would be proud of. The turn-based battles are what make this game such a wonderful one to play, even more so than the memorable characters and epic settings.
Really, both the critics and the players loved this game. But for some reason, there was never a second part. Look at how many Final Fantasy games we’ve played so far; it wouldn’t have been hard to make just one more, for crying out loud!
You can download this game from here
The Good
- Story about going back in time that is interesting and has many possible endings
- Engaging and unique battle system
- The art style and music are beautiful.
- Multiple side quests and hidden secrets provide replay value
The Bad
- Some people might think the pace is slow or boring.
- Some mechanics may seem too hard to understand or too complicated.
Xenogears
| Feature | Requirement |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows 7/8/10 (64-bit) |
| Processor | Intel Core i3-2115C 2.0GHz or AMD Athlon II X3 455 |
| Memory | 2 GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT or AMD Radeon HD 3600 |
| Storage | 3 GB available space |
Square Enix sure knows how to make the best JRPGs; their name seems to be on our RPG lists more than the word “RPG.” They’re one of the things that makes Xenogears so damn exciting, along with the active time battles and a story with a powerful ruler and a quest to figure out the secrets of your home world.
There are parts of religious symbolism and Jungian psychology in this fantasy story. This could be the most in-depth JRPG you’ve ever played. It’s also a big reason why this game almost never got made public. The people who made the game thought that no one would want to play a computer game about religion, but they were very wrong.
You can download this game from here
The Good
- Storyline and characters that stand out
- Gameplay mechanics that are new and different
- The graphics and sound are stunning.
The Bad
- In terms of how it plays and how it looks, it may feel old.
- Some people might think the pace is slow or boring.
FAQs
What is the greatest JRPG of all time?
If you didn’t agree with us that Chrono Trigger is the best JRPG ever made, you probably think that title belongs to Final Fantasy VII. Critics all over the world were shocked by the seventh Final Fantasy. In 1997, it was a masterpiece in both graphics and story.
What is the most popular JRPG?
As of 2022, the Pokémon series has sold more than 380 million copies. This makes it the best-selling JRPG series of all time.
Why are JRPGs so addictive?
So, they are great. JRPGs are better than any other type of video game at playing with your emotions and making you feel like you’re fighting your way through big adventures. Most of the time, they are about stories and exploring. They sometimes tell big, broad stories about angry gods and bad empires.
What is the oldest JRPG?
Dragon Slayer, which came out in 1984 from Nihon Falcom, is a historically important game that helped build the Japanese role-playing game industry. It was a dungeon crawler where you could hack and slash in real time. It is thought to be the first action role-playing game.