Summary

  • Turn-based JRPGs like older Final Fantasy games offer deep plots, captivating characters, and immersive soundtracks for players to enjoy.
  • Riviera: The Promised Land and Chrono Trigger are perfect entry points for newcomers to the genre, offering a blend of strategy and storytelling.
  • Yakuza: Like A Dragon introduces players to turn-based RPGs with a unique transition from the traditional Yakuza series, appealing to fans and new players alike.

The JRPG gꦰenre varies in terms of the types of combat and mechanics they feature. Turn-based JRPGs are among the most well-known as they include games from the Final Fantasy series among other big franchises.

Related
168澳洲幸运5开奖网: 10 Anime You Didn't Know Had J-RPGs

Typically, we’ve seen anime games lean more in the direction of musou titles or fighting games, but that doesn’t mean anime is new to the🉐 realm of RPG

More action-centric JRPGs c🌞an be just as good (and arguably that much more approachable), but both sides serve up some beginner-friend♏ly goodness. The games on this list offer the best introductions to the genre for newcomers.

Updated February 4, 2025 by Jacob Whaling: We've added even more JRPGs to this list as well as details on each game, including available platforms, release year, developer, and so on.

25 🥂Riviera: The Promised La🐲nd

Riviera-The-Promised-Land

Riviera: The Promised Land is an enchanting JRPG adventure that beckons y✅ou into a captivating world. Follow protagonist Ein through a fantastical realm filled with strategic challenges and compelling narratives. The game seamlessly blends turn-based battles with impactful decision-making, offering a unique gaming experience.

Riviera's alluring storyline and multiple endings provide depth and replayability, making it an ideal choice for those seeking an immersive journey. For any in search of a beautifully crafted JRPG with a perfect balance of strategy and storytelling, Riviera: The Promised Land is the promised recommendation.

24 🐓 Chrono Tr♔igger

Released
March 11, 1995 ꦏ
ESRB
T for Teen: Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood ꩵ
Engine
Cocos Creator Engine 🍰 ꦐ
Multiplayer
Local Co-Op ♔ 🦋
How Long To Beat
23 Hours

For anyone new to the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:turn-based JRPG genre, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Chrono Trigger is the absolute best first game to play. Fans consider it the gold standard with its stellar soundtrack, incredible story, and multiple endings. There are 13 possible o🥂utcomes for players to encounter depending on their choices.

This title is also one of the most widely available, with ports to iOS, Android, PCꦛ, and Nintendo DS over the years. You're sure to fall in love with t🍒he amazing cast of characters, from the well-meaning Robo to the noble Frog, a courageous knight.

23 Star O𒁃cean: The Second Stor🐟y R

4.0/5

Released
Novemb🌺er 2, 2023
ESRB
T
Developer(s)
Gemdrops, ༒Inc. 🥀
Publisher(s)
💖 Square Enix
Engine
unity
Platform(s)
PC, PS4, PS5, Switch
How Long To Beat
20 Hours
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty

Star Ocean: The Secon⛎d Story R is a remake of the second installment in the Star Ocean series. Playing as either Claude or Rena, you'll see two different stories unfold, different characters to recruit, and endings to reach.

Related
Star Ocean The Second Story R: All Party Memb🐠ers, Ranked

From Opera to Cl🅺aude, here are the best party members in Star Ocean Th☂e Second Story R!

The beautiful 2.5D graphics make The Second Story R an absolute joy to look at, and the game's action combat is fun and engaging. Star Ocean: The Second Story R is a perfect🐭 remake of the original, expanding in a♏ll the right areas while allowing new players to experience the story.

22 Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster ꦅ

Using Diaga on the Lich in Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster
Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster

Released
🦩 🗹 July 28, 2021
ESRB
T For Teen Due To Fantasy Violence, Language, Mild Blood, Partial Nudity, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol 🐻
Developer(s)
Tose
Engine
Unity
How Long To Beat
💖 100🐟+ Hours
OpenCritic Rating
Strong

168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Final Fantasy is one of those series that is impossible to ignore when talking about a genre like this - it's been a titan within RPGs since its inception. While the original versions of these games are a bit tricky to get into, the Pixel Remasters - released for PC🌊s and mobile devices - are some of the most accessible ways to play the games.

With a slightly lowered difficulty that reduces the need for grinding and plenty of well-needed quality-of-life improvements, the Pixel Remasters of Final Fantasies 1 through ꦕ6 represent some of the best ways to get a taste of what makes turn-based RPGs so magical.

21 Suikoden

A screenshot showing a scene in Suikoden 2
Suikoden

Released
𓆉 December 15, 1995
Developer(s)
Konami
Publisher(s)
Konami
Franchise
Suikoden
How Long To Beat
20 Hours

Whether you're playing the oriᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚginal version on the PS1 or waiting for the upcoming (at the time of writing) remasters, the Suikoden series - specifically the first two games that form a duology - are fantastic games to pick up for any JRPG fan.

They have a great sense of difficulty and their stories are fantastic, with the stunning ability to convey fantastic narratives on both grander and tighter scales. Plus, the series' core tenet of being able to recruit over 100 characters makes for♋ a thrilling, compelling game-long sidequest.

20 Persona 4 Golden ♏

3.5/5

Released
🗹 December 9, 2008
ESRB
M For Mature 17+💙 due to Alcohol Reference, Animated Blood, L🦋anguage, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Violence
Developer(s)
Atlus
Publisher(s)
Atlus
Engine
RenderWare 🐻 💃
Franchise
Persona
How Long To Beat
70 Hours
X|S Optimized
Yes
File Size Xbox Series
1🧜0 GB (November 2023)
Metascore
93
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty

Persona 4 Golden is an outstanding JRPG and a great entry into the genre. Like other games in the🐼 series, Persona 4 takes a bit to get going, giving you time to get immersed in the sleepy town of Inaba, where mysterious murders are taking place.

Related
168澳洲ꦑ幸运5开奖网: Every Perso🍸na Spinoff Game, Ranked

The Persona series includ🐻es multiple spinoff games, and here is a look at every title that spawned from the already fantastic franchise.

With the power of Persona, you'll need to gather your allies, form bonds with your classmates, and venture into the world inside the TV to solve the murders and save your town. Life-sim and JRPG dungeon crawling intertwine perfectly, creating an immaculate gameplay blend that will keep you comi🍬ng back for more.

19 Pokemon

smiling eevee in the pokemon anime
via Pokemon
2.0/5

Released
November 18, 2𒀰022 ▨
ESRB
E For Everyone Due To Mild Fantasy Violenc𝕴e
Publisher(s)
Nintendo, The Pokemon🍎 Company
Engine
Proprietary Engine 𓃲
Multiplayer
🐭 ♌ Local Multiplayer
Cross-Platform Play
no
Cross Save
no
Franchise
Pokemon
Steam Deck Compatibility
yes
Platform(s)
Switch
How Long To Beat
32 Hours
X|S Optimized
no
Metascore
72
OpenCritic Rating
Fair

The original Pokemon games were first released in Japan in 1996 and have become a fixture in pop cultur🔥e. The turn-based Pokemon battles pitted one Pokemon trainer against another, using their Pokemon to determine the winner. But the story captivated players most as traꦬiners traveled around the world to different towns during training.

Picking one to play is ultimately up to personal preference and availability. But Pokemon Yellow allows players to have all the original starter Pokemon: Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur. Plus, you get to have a special re☂lationship with a Pikachu, just like Ash Ketchum does in the original anime.

Alternatively, the Pokemon Let's Go games for the Nintendo Switch are often regarded as the most acc꧋essible of the bunch, and are a fantastic way to introduce someone to the world of Pokemon. If Pikachu isn't your style, go for Eevee instead. They are easy games, sure, but they're very good for getting you into the world of♏ Pokemon.

If having the most recent thing is ൩more important to you, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are solid entry points - they offer a wide-open world to explore and though the initial rele𒅌ase was a bit buggy, it's come a long way thanks to dedicated performance patches.

18 Ni No Kuni: Wrath Of The Whi𝓀te Witc🔯h

Awide shot of Oliver and Drippy from Ni No Kuni Wrath Of The White Witch on a cliffside overlooking a verdant landscape and the city of Ding Dong Dell in the far distance
4.5/5

Released
January 22, 2013 ⛎
ESRB
𝄹 E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Alcohol and Tobacco Reference, Fantasy Violence, Mild𝓀 Language, Simulated Gambling
Developer(s)
Level 5
Publisher(s)
🎃 Namco Bandai
Engine
Havok
How Long To Beat
45 Hours
X|S Optimized
No
File Size Xbox Series
25 GB (November 20👍23)

The first Ni No Kuni game places you in the shoes of Oliver♍, a young boy who gets transported to a fairytale world and thrust into an epic adventure. This game is absolutely gorgeous, with many cutscenes and character designs straight from Ghibli Studios itself!

The game's combat system blends turn-based combat with a 3D battlefield that you can move around and even allows you to collect a bunch 𒁃of odd, quirky, and powerful monsters using the power of friendship. It's a beautiful game with a fantastic story that shouldn't♌ be passed on.

17 ❀ Yakuza: Like A Dragon

Ichiban holding a bat in Yakuza: Like A Dragon.
5.0/5

Released
🐓 November 10, 2020 ཧ
ESRB
🅘 M for Mature: Blood, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol
Developer(s)
🧸 Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
Publisher(s)
Sega
Engine
Dragon En💟gine 🦄
Franchise
Yakuza
How Long To Beat
45 Hours
X|S Optimized
Yes
File Size Xbox Series
ℱ 39 GB (November 2023)
Metascore
86
PS Plus Availability
N/A
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty

Veterans of the Yakuza series may well have been surprised, perhaps even put off at the revelation that Like A Dragon would end up being a turn-based RPG, setting it apart from other entries in the series. However, as it stands, it's a very smooth transition into the sub-genre and would serve as a very good introduction to turn-based R🍃PGs in general.

5:32
Related
168澳洲幸运5开奖网: 29 PS5 Games With The Best S🎉torylines

With an ever-expanding catalog꧋, we take a look a✅t some of the best story games on PlayStation 5 that you should play.

Whether you're a fan of Yakuza or looking for something๊ gritty yet whimsical at the same time, join Ichiban Kasuga - a fervent Dragon Quest fan and recent prison inmate 🏅- as he acclimatizes to the world and deals with the organized crime around him.

16 ൩ Ys 8: L🌳acrimosa Of Dana

Released
ꦇ September 12, 2017 🏅
ESRB
🍷 T For Teen Due To Blood, Fantasy Violence, Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol
Developer(s)
꧑ Nihon Falcom ไ
Publisher(s)
♍ Nihon Falcom ♓
Engine
Ys 8
Franchise
Ys
PC Release Date
♎ April 16, 2018 🦋
PS5 Release Date
🐓November 15, 2022
Nintendo Switch Release Date
June 26, 201🦋8
How Long To Beat
38 Hours
Metascore
85
PS Plus Availability
Extra & Premium 💖
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty

Ys 8: Lacrimosa of Dana is one of ♎the most accessible entries in the long-ܫrunning Ys series. This game once again follows Adol; this time, you'll explore a mysterious island that Adol has shipwrecked on. The fast-paced, action combat that has become standard for the series is fun and engaging, but doesn't require a lot of skill to excel at.

Ys 8's platform availability, soft story reset, and beginner-friendly combat all make for a perfec꧋t place to start in the JRPG world. If you love Ys 8, then 𝔍you can even go back and experience decades' worth of Ys games.