Recently I was asked by a friend for a list of good Japanese Role Playing Games (JRPGs). They wanted to find titles a little more obscure than another Final Fantasy. This reminded me of my days as a Twitch streamer. Back then I became known as an expert in JRPGs. At least within my little community anyway. It is a fair question though. There are a lot of JRPGs out there. As a genre they also tend to be deep time commitments. So for anyone else wondering, here’s a small list of hidden JRPG gems that are actually worth the time investment.
Shining Force (1992)
For fans of the more tactical armies style of combat commonly found in the Fire Emblem series, may I present “Shining Force”. This SEGA genesis era entry has some of the best level design in the genre. Great art, animation, hidden unlockable characters and items tucked away in the corners of these maps gives players a reason to explore. A limited party size also incentivizes replaying missions with different party makeups. All this without making the game too bloated like so many JRPGs are.
Romancing Saga (1992)
Long before “Octopath Traveller” was allowing players to play through multiple characters’ stories there was “Romancing Saga”. This game allowed players to explore an open world from twelve different perspectives. Truly a marvel of a powerhouse when it was originally released. A remake was released on the PlayStation 2. In this remake there were some hefty graphic and quality of life upgrades. All that made the game more streamlined than the original release. Combined with the random chance to encounter other characters throughout the world, “Romancing Saga” offered a truly unique style of exploration and gameplay.
Xenogears (1998)
Big fans of JRPGs will no doubt recognize the “Xenoblade Chronicles” series. But, did you know that the first game in that franchise was called “Xenogears”? Originally designed to be a sequel to either “Final Fantasy” or “Chrono Trigger”, “Xenogears” eventually took on a life of its own. An indepth story and a battle system that takes the best from both series, this game is a great show of the early era of JRPGs.
Golden Sun (2001)
Maybe not a hidden gem per say, but if you haven’t checked out this GameBoy Advance game go find it. Fun puzzles and a deep customization system makes this game a joy to play around with. By moving around the equipable monsters collected through the game characters will have access to different abilities. These in turn allow the player to solve puzzles and find new ways to defeat enemies. A fun and creative game that is just hard to find these days.
Shadow Hearts (2001)
Most JRPGs have immaculate aesthetics but none of them spoke to my edgy teen self like Shadow Hearts. Gothic vibes set in a post first World War Europe with a dark and tragic story. Simply put, what more could you want? Gameplay is fairly typical of JRPGs but the haunting story of this game kept my teen poor attention span having self focused all the way to the end.
Rouge Galaxy (2005)
Unlike the other entries in this list, “Rouge Galaxy” does not have a turn based combat system. Instead each character has a gauge that is spent by taking actions and is restored either by staying still or blocking enemy attacks with careful timing. Now I normally despise these kinds of action/turn-based hybrid systems but honestly “Rouge Galaxy” simply is too pretty to miss. A fun story and lots of great spectacle in its action mean “Rouge Galaxy” is if nothing else an exciting entry into this list.
Valkyria Chronicles (2008)
A great group of characters can carry a lot of things. “Valkyria Chronicles” presents a fun group of characters and their strife trying to defend their homeland in a war much larger than themselves. This game has such a great balance of turn based tactical play with greater army management. Choosing certain soldiers based on their personal abilities and balancing relationships within the army become the cornerstones of survival. Back at camp the player must then make sure the soldiers are equipped properly. Using the best tech available to win the day. All of which adds layers upon layers of depth to this deceptively complex game.
Last Remnant (2008)
Anyone looking for a chance to take JRPG style gameplay to a global scale should check out “The Last Remnant”. Combat in this game shifts between individual units and parties fighting in a style similar to most other JRPGs, and a great military strategy epic. Something in line with a Sid Meier game in the middle of this otherwise traditional Japanese style game adds a depth and challenge that is incredibly satisfying.
