JRPGshad a ridiculous boon in the 2000s, producing some truly powerhouse games that defined and revolutionized the series they’re from. Final Fantasy was everywhere, Persona was ramping up, and year after year, there was another stunning JRPG to snatch up. While the PlayStation One would last until about 2006, the PlayStation 2 was a powerhouse, and the Xbox, Game Boy Advance, and GameCube were all making waves.
The 2000s were all about innovation, and these integral JRPGs took what we knew of the genre and stretched it to new heights. Every year was another banger of a JRPG, and every year, fans would get a new world to sink their teeth into.
A return to fantasy, Final Fantasy 9 is largely regarded as one of the best games from the series. Dagger, Beatrice, Quina, Freya, Vivi, and more make up this unique and diverse cast, where everyone can pinpoint their favorite character. With adventure, intrigue, and love at the core of the story, Final Fantasy 9 felt like the end of an era while simultaneously being an homage to the classic adventures that came before it.
You’re sure to have seen Vivi and the impact he alone had on gaming. Add a compelling villain in Kuja, some cool summons, neat minigames, and gorgeous backgrounds alongside the scruffy life of Zidane, and you get a fantasy masterpiece.
By far one of the best JRPGs of all time, Final Fantasy 10 was proof of what the PlayStation 2 could do. More than that, though, it was the first for the series in so many ways, and received the recognition it deserved at the time. The story of love and loss and the emotional toll you felt in 2001 is still felt years later when playing the remastered version of the game.
The iconic Shiva snap, the misunderstood and often memed laughing scene, the 3D landscapes, the introduction of voice acting, and the brilliant leveling system all contribute to one of the best Final Fantasy games of all time. 2001 truly had a gem on its hands with Final Fantasy 10.
A knockout sequel, it’s hard to decide which of the Golden Sun games is best, but everyone will say Golden Sun: The Lost Age is good. The Gameboy Advance was a great place to play and immerse yourself in the genre.
The Lost Age is a great example of taking things that worked and making them better. Be ready to pick up where Golden Sun left off, jumping right into the action with a compelling story and improvedturn-based combatthat actually looks great on the GBA.
Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade continues to prove that tactical JRPGs are just as good as turn-based options. Meet the ever-popular Lyn and join her and her companions on an epic fantasy adventure across the world. You’ll get into lots of intrigue and action while searching for Eliwood’s father.
There’s something about these 2000s video games on the Game Boy Advance that really still holds up. If you’re used to Fire Emblem games, you ’ll recognize the gameplay easily enough. If you haven’t played the game, the story alone is worth giving it a try.
Of course, the Gamecube can’t be neglected when it comes to great JRPGs in the 2000s. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door is one of those games that stays with you, and anyone who played in 2004 will gladly tell you why it’s so good. One of the reasons is that the game is just so charming.
Yet another sequel (it seems the 2000s were just refining great games), this game boasts fun and unique characters, and you’ll walk away remembering them with their witty characteristics and interesting character arcs, the further you travel with them. Combat is fun, Badges help adjust things to tailor your gameplay and customize Mario’s play, and there are so many that you’ll find exactly what you need. Be sure to get your super guard timing off and hit every QTE to pull off your special star spirit moves.
Arguably the best Kingdom Hearts game out there, Kingdom Hearts 2 is the culmination of everything good with Kingdom Hearts and adds more. More Disney worlds, more Final Fantasy, better combat, and more of that Disney magic.
With even better combat, cooler team-ups with new party members, new transformations, and the continuation of one of the most unexpected crossovers ever, KH2 is still atop several best JRPG lists for how it pushed the series to new heights.
The members of SEES bring the Persona series to the list. While 2006 was a busy year for JRPGS (with Final Fantasy 12 almost taking this spot), Persona 3 made a splash with its dark aesthetic, mature themes, and intriguing cast. Tackling the dark hour and Tartarus on the PlayStation 2 was one of the most immersive experiences from the series.
Trying to solve the mystery of apathy syndrome tied an intriguing plot into the mix, with the stylized visuals and engaging combat with the Persona system. Follow this up with P3 Fes and P3 Portable for the ultimate Persona 3 experience.
Lost Odyssey is theXbox entry for JRPGs, proving that the system also had a chance to jump in on the JRPG genre boom of the time. With Hironobu Sakaguchi at the helm, the Final Fantasy creator developed a new story with the same grit and emotion as other Final Fantasy titles. It’s no wonder that with talent like this behind it, Lost Odyssey is one of the best JRPGs of the 2000s. Politics, magic, and intrigue all coincide in the plot, with the mystery of memory loss at the forefront, while also dealing with the effects of what suffering means.
The big takeaway was the ring system in combat, providing a unique time-based enhancement to the turn-based gameplay that felt fresh and innovative. Add effects to your base attacks while hitting the QTE at the perfect time. From learning skills to immortals with free revivals, there’s a ton here to dig into.
A thrilling murder mystery, this turn-based JRPG will have you singing the Junes theme song on your downtime. Another example of relatable yet fun characters is a protagonist in a brand new town, thrust into some ridiculous situation.
However, this time, the situation is an intriguing storyline where you’ll have to figure out the mystery of the TV murders. It’s one of the coolest Persona stories to date, and the updated visuals, gameplay, and really good voice acting, and captivating improvements from Persona 3 make Persona 4 an even better game. Dive inside the TV channel to uncover the mystery.
Divisive though it may be, Final Fantasy 13 was a ton of welcome changes to the Final Fantasy formula in the 2000s. A strong female protagonist, a ridiculously good soundtrack, and a relatable story despite how fantastical it is, Final Fantasy 13 was Square Enix taking a ton of chances that greatly paid off.
FF13 gave one of the coolest combat systems in the Paradigm system that allows you to create unique combos and switch classes on the fly for whatever you need to help break the enemy. Throw in some cool transformer-style summons and gorgeous CGI, and you’ve got one of the best JRPGs from this year.
