JRPGstands for Japanese role-playing game, a term not all Japanese developers like to use to label their games - and historically, they have the right to it.
Still, there’s no denying that there’s a set of characteristics that define what makes an RPG aJRPG.
In my opinion, a JRPG is a game that draws inspiration from the Japanese culture rather than simply being a game made by Japanese developers.
8 Most Iconic JRPG Cities
Cities are the best places to wind down from our adventure and spend some hard-earned gold.
Plenty ofJRPGs not made in Japancan still be considered JRPGs due to their anime aesthetic, a fixed party with a focus on character development, and a unique narrative with no branching outcomes.
Despite the staples that define these games, some JRPGs break the genre’s rules, bringing their developers' creative vision to life and introducing a more unorthodox game design.
This list highlights JRPGs that diverge from the genre’s initial definition. They aren’t necessarily titles that introduced new mechanics but serve as examples of this rule-breaking approach.
8Final Fantasy II
No Traditional Leveling System
Final Fantasy II
Dragon Questis considered the grandfather of JRPGs, whileFinal Fantasyis more like the cool uncle.
Both games essentially defined what a JRPG is, streamlining Western RPGs and creating a more contained and accessible experience—maybe that’s why I’m spoiled and dislike harder RPGs.
It didn’t take long for Hironobu Sakaguchi’s franchise to innovate and introduce a system inFinal Fantasy IIthat ditched the staple level-up mechanic in favor of its unique approach.
InFinal Fantasy II, each character develops a stat based on the most repeated actions in battle.
If a character frequently uses physical attacks, their Strength will increase, while taking damage and losing HP will boost their Stamina, and so on.
At first glance, it seemed likean interesting progression systemthat rewarded players for hyper-focusing their characters into specific specializations.
After a while, it gets boring, and quite a chore to keep grinding the same builds over and over. Not to mention the countless exploits and tricks you can use to boost your stats quickly.
7Metal Max Xeno Reborn
Why Not Bring Tanks to the Battlefield
Metal Max Xeno Reborn
Metal Maxis one of the oldest JRPG series in the industry, with its first release dating back to 1991. However, it never quite managed to gain mainstream traction and remained in obscurity.
Even so, that didn’t stopMetal Maxfrom getting new installments, which is how I got to know the series. SinceMetal Max XenoRebornis the only entry I’ve played, I’ll focus on it.
I played the game at launch, and while it’s clunky and somewhat repetitive, I had a good time with it.
Unlike most JRPGs, where you control a party of humanoid characters,Metal MaxXenofocuses on vehicleslike tanks and buggies.
It’s a different take from most JRPGs, where progression is usually tied to the characters themselves.
Other sci-fi games have explored their own versions of vehicle-based progression, such asFront Mission,butMetal Maxdid it first.
There are some moments where you control human characters, mostly to explore crevices where your massive tanks can’t fit, but those are few and far between.
All progression is tied to swapping parts and maintaining vehicles. InXeno Reborn, I often found abandoned tanks on the open field.
If I entered a battle and my current tank was critically damaged, I would leave it wrecked, hop into another one, and continue the fight, but now with the upper hand.
6Vagrant Story
No Level, No Towns, No Adventure
Vagrant Story
Vagrant Storyis an action RPG dungeon crawler bySquare Enixset in Ivalice, the same world asFinal Fantasy TacticsandFinal Fantasy XII.
This setting means almost nothing today and feels more like an excuse for writers to cram in some intro fluff.
In hindsight, I even hesitate to callVagrant Storya JRPG, considering it barely features any of the genre’s staples.
Ashley Riot, the protagonist, doesn’t have levels. There are no towns to visit, no shops to buy items from, no overworld, and no sidequests.I mean, what do we even have here?
The progression system is tied to weapons, their attributes, and their advantages against specific enemy types, with battles revolving around the confusing Risk System.
Despite it all, I likeVagrant Story, even if I get wrecked by every boss I encounter and never fully understand what I’m doing wrong.
5Live A Live
Multiple Protagonists and Different Gameplay
Live A Live
Although theLive A Liveremake was released in 2022, the original game was released in 1994, making all these design choices and innovations even more impressive.
This was a time when Square was already releasing JRPGs with fixed protagonists, starting withFinal Fantasy IV.
WhileFinal Fantasy VItechnically introduced the multiple-protagonist system,Live A Livedid it with a different flair.
9 Best JRPG Robot Party Members
These characters may not have a heart, but they’re still full of love.
Still,Live A Live’sbiggest standout feature was how each protagonist had a self-contained story and even unique gameplay.
Want to experience a whodunit in space? Then play as Cube, my favorite storyline. How about a Wild West tale with minimal combat, where the focus is on rallying citizens to set traps for a gang of outlaws? That’s here, too.
Live A Livewas a JRPG that followed its own vision, making it one of Squaresoft’s most innovative games of its time.
Thankfully, it got a remake because it would’ve been a shame if thisJRPG had remained trapped in Japan.
4The Last Remnant
Union-Based Party Members
The Last Remnant Remastered
I must’ve startedThe Last Remnantabout five times, but I never get too far. I’m not exactly sure why, but if I had to point fingers, I’d blame its apparently strategic but highly convoluted battle system.
The Last Remnanthas a combat system that reminds me ofOgre Battle, no matter how much of a stretch that may sound.
So why didn’t I includeOgre Battle, I hear you ask? Because this kind of auto-battle system makes sense in a tactical JRPG likeOgre Battle, where you’resupposedto be strategic.
Meanwhile,The Last Remnanthas a more traditional turn-based RPG style featuring this distinct party and battle design.
Let me explain. InThe Last Remnant, you form unions, which are groups of different party members.
When engaging an enemy on the field, you enter a battle that the game’s director labeled as a “turn-based, command-based system using symbol encounters,” whatever that means.
Instead of selecting actions directly for your characters, you give orders to every union, and they execute them as they see fit.
So you’re able to command a union to attack with their mightiest attacks, defend, support an allied union, or even heal themselves, with orders changing dynamically throughout the battle.
There’s also a morale bar that influences both allies and enemies, adding another layer of complexity.
Occasionally, a character learns a new skill mid-battle, giving you a massive advantage. Judging by the length of this explanation, you can probably tell just how convolutedThe Last Remnant’s system is, no matter how unique it may be.
3Romancing SaGa
Freeform Scenario Mode
Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song
I considerSaGaone of the genre’s most unusual and exotic JRPG series. First, its games don’t have a traditional leveling system and follow the same attribute-increase mechanics asFinal Fantasy II.
In more modern titles, starting withRomancing SaGa 2, the franchise introduced the Glimmer system (which I love), allowing human characters to learn new skills mid-combat, often winning that boss fight by the skin of our teeth.
However, if there’s one SaGa system I both love and hate in equal measure, it’s the Freeform Scenario Mode.
In short,SaGadoesn’t care about the main narrative—with a few exceptions.
The games throw you into the world, and that’s it. You’re on your own.
You can explore here, there, anywhere, pick up sidequests, recruit new characters, orget soft-locked against an incredibly tough boss. It’s all up to you.
10 JRPGS With Short Runtimes
These games are for those who love JRPGs but don’t want to spend months on the same playthrough.
This is both thrilling and frustrating at the same time. My favorite entry in the franchise isRomancing SaGa: Minstrel Song, where you’ll spend 50% of your time doing sidequests, 40% trying to figure out what the hell is going on, and the rest split between the main quest and backing up your save.
Undeniably,SaGais a one-of-a-kind experience that only the most die-hard JRPG fans will take on.
2Pokémon Red
Gotta Catch ‘Em All
Pokemon Red
WhileDigital Devil Story: Megami TenseiandDragon Quest Vdid it first,Pokémonwas the game that propelled the monster-taming system to new heights, so I opted for it. And come on, who doesn’t lovePokémon?
Pokémonis a JRPG where the protagonist doesn’t participate in battles directly. Instead, you capture once freely living wild, cute little monsters to do your bidding, day after day, struggle after struggle. No matter how often you stop by a Pokémon Center, they’re always there, hustling and injuring themselves.
What I mean:Pokémonintroduces, at least in the first games,over 150 party membersto choose from, gradually increasing with each new installment.
Plus, noPokémonis mandatory, making this a JRPG where there’s no fixed main cast.
Ultimately, this constant cycle of capturing, evolving, and tradingPokémonis the franchise’s secret formula.
There’s nothing more satisfying than stumbling upon an Entei in the wild,demolishing a Bug Catcher with six Rayquazas, or beating the Elite Four with a Level 50 Raticate.
1Chrono Trigger
New Game Plus Multiple Endings
Chrono Trigger
The concept of multiple endings wasn’t new in gaming, especially considering how many text-based adventures and story-branching CRPGs were around.
But in JRPGs, which always prioritized a more linear and fixed story? Oh yeah, now that was something new.
Chrono Triggerdoesn’t just feature multiple endings but does so with an elegance few games can match.
Considering it deals with time travel, one of the most complex themes to pull off, the supreme JRPG nailed it.
To further enhance this multiple-ending design,Chrono Triggeralso coined the term New Game+, a feature that had appeared in older games but became widely popular here.
New Game+ lets you restart the gamewhile keeping your levels, equipment, and items from your previous run. This way, you can either speedrun through bosses and relive the story, or, inChrono Trigger’scase, hunt down new endings.
Needless to say, this gave the game an unmatched replayability for its time.
I have always disliked replaying JRPGs since they’re naturally long. Yet, I completed every ending inChrono Trigger—andChrono Cross—filled with pure joy. Seeing how my actions reshaped the world and its characters was thrilling and kept me coming back again and again.
8 Best JRPGs Where You Play A Rebel
In some games, our protagonists are rebels; in others, we’re part of a rebellion.
