Long ago, manyJRPGsnever found their way outside of Japan. They never received an English version, and so went largely unknown to the West. However, we’re currently in a golden age of information, and many games are released worldwide, allowing fans all over the globe to enjoy their favorite genre together.
With so many new games coming out, and in a genre that has a tendency to favor hundred-hour-long adventures, you’re often forced to make concessions to play the games you want to play, leaving many games undiscovered. Below, we’ll take a look at some great JRPGs that you may have slept on, and tell you why you should give them a shot.
Utawarerumono is the story of Hakuowlo, a man who wakes up with grievous injuries and no memories. Attended by the caring people of the village, Hakuowlo searches for his memories that haven’t forgotten him, as his mysterious past brings conflict to the village.
Utawarerumono and its two sequels are primarily visual novels with some engaging tactical battles sprinkled throughout the story. The story starts slow, but builds into an epic tale about war and conspiracy. If you aren’t a visual novel fan, this one might not be for you, but the emotional story is worth playing for fans of the genre.
With a name like the Alliance Alive, it’s easy to look over this game as just another generic JRPG. However, if you actually give it a chance, you may end up falling in love with its great characters, interesting story, vast exploration, and deep character building.
The game originally released for the 3DS, but it got an updated HD remaster in 2020, so it isn’t stuck on the handheld. It also came out late in the console’s life, which may have contributed to it being looked over. But if you like games like Bravely Default, there’s a lot to love with The Alliance Alive, too.
Azure Dreams is a PS1 JRPG that was way ahead of its time. Essentially, it combines roguelike elements with dungeon crawling, creature collecting, town building, and turn-based battles. If an indie studio released this game in the current year, it would make an absolute killing. Luckily, we don’t have to wait for anyone to make this game!
The core of Azure Dreams is the Tower of Monsters; your goal is to delve into the Tower, kill monsters, gather loot, and catch monster eggs to hatch into companions that you can then bring with you into the Tower.
Outside of the dungeon, you’ll be in charge of building up the town of Monsbaiya, creating infrastructure like a hospital, gym, or casino. There’s a great amount of depth in Azure Dreams, and if you’re a fan of one of the many game genres that this game deftly combines, you’ll have a great time.
Within the JRPG community, the Trails series is far from slept on. However, ask anyone who only has a passing interest in the genre, and they may have no idea what you’re talking about. However, even if you’re familiar with the series and its pedigree, there’s a good chance you’ve slept on it anyway because of its length.
The Trails series tells one long, interconnected story, beginning with Trails in the Sky. The games are divided into arcs that technically can be played in any order, but most fans will tell you to start with Trails in the Sky, the first published game.
Committing to a 13-game series is not done lightly, but don’t let the length put you off. Every step of the journey is an amazing experience, and every game is worth playing.
Super Robot Wars 30 is a crossover episode done right. This tactical JRPG has you piloting mecha from a variety of different anime and manga, like Mobile Suit Gundam, Mazinger Z, Getter Robo, Code Geass, and many more.
The star of the show is the game’s flashy animations for each of the mecha’s attacks. The grid-based combat is also just deep enough to be engaging, but not too difficult to get into, so you can sit back and watch your favorite mobile suits crush groups of enemies.
The SaGa franchise is built around the idea of combat over story. Almost every game in the series features some of the deepest combat in any JRPG, but at the cost of having very little story. Really, almost every game in the series is slept on by JRPG fans, maybe excluding the recently released remake of Romancing Saga 2.
Emerald Beyond is no different in terms of being overlooked, despite releasing the same year as Revenge of the Seven. This game asks you to follow one of six protagonists on a journey across 17 different worlds, building your own story as you go. Emerald Beyond has the largest number of branching paths in any game in the series, giving the experience immense replay value.
If you want to jump into the SaGa series at the deep end, try out Unlimited SaGa for the PS2, one of the most complex JRPGs ever made.
While Persona 3, 4, and 5 have enjoyed worldwide praise, the first two games in the series have gone largely forgotten, despite being amazing games in their own right. Some key differences between these phases of the series life include the lack of a calendar system and social links, and the ability for every party member to use multiple Personas.
Gameplay-wise, Persona 1 and 2 are closer to Shin Megami Tensei games than the rest of the Persona series. However, if you’ve been sleeping on these games despite being a fan of Persona 3, 4, or 5, take this as your sign to play them. They have excellent gameplay and stories that are just as good (if not better) than the latter half of the franchise’s releases.
