We all know that Final Fantasy has dominated the JRPG genre for quite some time and frequently makes it to the top of the very best games in that genre list. As great as they are, their excellence and prevalence in the industry can make it quite hard to find a new JRPG as compelling, as emotional, and as fun without seeing the series endlessly pop up. Luckily, today, we don’t care about Final Fantasy. Chuck it out the window, say goodbye to Final Fantasy 7, X, XV, or whichever typically tickles your fancy, because we’re not discussing the merits of that genuinely legendary series.
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Rather, I want to talk about the other greatest JRPGs, the ones often kicked out of the spotlight because of just how bright Final Fantasy shines. Whether it is the best JRPG on the Nintendo Switch or a surprisingly emotional entry in an otherwise un-JRPG-focused series, there are a plethora of amazing games in the genre that don’t start with the word Final. If you’re looking for your next 100+ hour adventure, a story so good it’ll make you cry, or just that sense of awe and wonder only JRPGs can bring, but you’re tired of everyone telling you to play Final Fantasy, then you’re in luck.
5. Chrono Trigger
Chrono Trigger is one of the rare SNES games that has managed to stand the test of time. That’s not a slight against the SNES, as there are genuinely so many great games from that era that we still love today. Rather, if Chrono Trigger were released today as it was 31 years ago, it would still receive rave reviews. The writing, storytelling, characterization, worldbuilding, active-time combat, lack of random encounters, phenomenal score, and time-bending aspects are all so utterly engrossing and genre-defining that its hard to see how any game at the time, and, really, indeed now could top what Hironobu Sakaguchi, Yuji Horii, and Akira Toriyama (what a ridiculously talented dream team) achieved all those years ago.
Fortunately, Chrono Trigger is still relatively easy to play today as it is available on mobile and PC for a relatively affordable cost. Sure, it lacks a proper modern console port, but with rumors of a Chrono Trigger remake on the horizon, it is certainly possible that it will come in due course. I personally believe that Chrono Trigger far surpasses the earlier Final Fantasy games and undeniably warrants all of the immense praise it receives from fans and JRPG enthusiasts. If you have somehow missed Chrono Trigger, then do yourself a favor and go play it today. You won’t be disappointed.
4. Xenogears
Xenogears is a truly remarkable achievement, the likes of which are so rare nowadays, it makes one wonder whether the industry has regressed. Created by Kaori Tanaka alongside Tetsuya Takahashi, the mastermind behind the legendary Xenoblade Chronicles series (more on that later), Xenogears is a masterclass in narrative excellence, meaningful character development, and impactful worldbuilding. Even in its somewhat incomplete state, Xenogears manages to weave one of the most engrossing stories ever told with a cast of characters so memorable that it is a miracle they haven’t appeared in more expanded media.
Unfortunately, Xenogears is trapped in limbo, a prison of Square Enix’s making, as it does absolutely nothing with the 28-year-old masterpiece. It is a shame, as a remaster or a remake would not only allow more people to experience one of the greatest JRPGs of all time, but would also allow Takahashi and co to deliver the experience they had intended all those years ago. Still, as it stands, Xenogears far surpasses the majority of what the modern JRPG scene has managed to achieve, and remains a cult classic for very good reason.
3. Yakuza: Like A Dragon
Yakuza: Like a Dragon may not look like a JRPG masterpiece at first glance, especially considering it is connected to a very un-JRPG franchise. However, not only is its turn-based combat so unbelievably good and a genuine innovation on what has come before it, but Like a Dragon’s story is so surprisingly emotional, so heartfelt, phenomenally paced, and expertly written, that one will undoubtedly finish playing it in floods of tears. It takes the impressive production values, intimate character moments, complex conspiracies, and epic, hype-inducing brawls of its predecessor and applies them to the JRPG framework to create something completely unique and immensely appealing.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon also doesn’t really assume much knowledge of its predecessors, although it doesn’t hurt, so you can play it without having sunk hundreds of hours into the other six mainline games. Sure, it’s an unexpected entry and perhaps not everyone thinks it deserves to be on this list over, say, Persona 5, or similarly popular JRPGs. However, I think what it achieves with its narrative and approach to combat actually far surpasses those aforementioned games, Final Fantasy included, in many ways. It is just its status as a Yakuza game and its lack of fantastical elements that make it feel like an outsider and an odd choice. Trust me; give Yakuza: Like a Dragon a go and I promise you’ll understand why it should be considered one of the greatest JRPGs of all time.
2. Xenoblade Chronicles 2
I suspect I’ll get quite a bit of flak for claiming Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is one of the greatest JRPGs ever made, but I wholeheartedly stand by that decision and indeed believe it to be the very best in the genre. This isn’t merely because XBC2 is my all-time favorite game, nor because it had such a profound impact on me, my life, and my mental wellbeing that I struggled to enjoy anything I played after it for years, but because it offers one of the most incredible adventures I have ever experienced full of deeply memorable characters, rewarding narrative payoffs, and an ending that will make you weep for days.
It is also a strikingly beautiful game with one the very best soundtracks in all of video game history; its worlds are incredibly rich and detailed, full of interesting locales and stunning views; its combat is complex and dynamic, and its central creature collection mechanic is infinitely more satisfying than Pokémon thanks to it tying directly into some of the greatest side quests in the game. What Monolith Soft achieved with Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is nothing short of genius, and while the first and third games in the series are near-perfect too, XBC2’s ability to weave such a joyous sense of childlike wonder and adventure with its tearjerking moments of heartbreak is remarkable.
1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
I’m not sure I can do justice to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the ridiculously good JRPG from developer Sandfall Interactive. It encapsulates everything that makes the JRPG genre so unbelievably special in every aspect of its design. Its story is so poignant, so beautifully told, so mesmerizingly engaging, the central hook at its core engrossing enough to carry the mystery all the way until its final bleak moments; the combat feels like the perfect evolution of the tried and tested formula that has worked for JRPGs for so long, brilliantly balancing the reactive nature of real-time action and the thoughtful strategic nature of turn-based battles.
It is easy to gush over Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 because it is so deserving of it. Few games are worthy of their universal praise, as rarely does one achieve not just everything it set out to, but truly establishes a bar so high for its genre that one wonders whether anything will ever top it. Clair Obscur did just that, and I am extremely excited to see what Sandfall Interactive does next, either within this universe or something entirely new. Honestly, and this may be a tad sacrilegious, especially as I love Final Fantasy 7 Remake, but I’d happily give up Final Fantasy if it meant we got another Clair Obscur title.
Which JRPGs do you believe are the best in the genre? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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