JRPGs have exploded in recent years, with massive games like Final Fantasy and Persona dominating the꧟ market. While these games are no doubt amazing, there's something special about the games developed by mid-sized studios with a much smaller budget, necessitating experimentation over mass appeal.

While the distinction between ind🍰ie, double-A, and triple-A can get muddy, all that really matters is if the games are fun. To that end, we'l🤡l try to recommend some of the best double-A JRPGs that are better than some of the highest-budget games out there.

8 The Legend Oꦕf Heroes: Trails In The Sky ꧒

Developed by Nihon Falcom, the Legend of Heroes series♑ tells a multi-game story set in a shared world, beginning with Trails in the Sky, which follows Estelle Bright and her adopted brother Joshua. The pair trains to become Bracers, a military organization that works to protect civilians, but they eventually become embroiled in a plot to overthrow the monarchy of Liberl.

Trails in the Sky is the ultimate comfort JRPG, with plenty of lore and dialogue to immerse yourself in, ♌and an enjoyable combat system that doesn't overstay its welcome. The scope of the world is also something to admire, as each game in the series further expands the story and its characters, so there's something to look forward to even after you roll credits on Trails in the Sky.

7 Ra🧸diant Historia: Perfect Chronology

Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology is an expanded and remastered 3DS version of the original game. The game takes place in a world beset by desertification, where the world is slowly turning into un🐠inhabitable deserts.

The protagonist, Stocke, is given the White Chronicle, a book that allows him to travel to different𓃲 timelines so that he can fight against the desertification. The game does an excellent job of making each timeline feel unique while moving the plot forward, as you'll need to explore each one to find a clue that may help in a different timeline.

The combat is also a lot of fun to get the hang of, using a grid-based system that involves pushing or pullinꦉg enemies aroꦿund to get them into position for area attacks.

6 𓆏 ༒ Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

While not technically a JRPG, as it's developed by the French studio Sandfall Interactive, Clair Obscur: Expedition plays like a hybrid between Final Fantasy 10 and Sekiro, with its turn-based combat and reaction-based counters and dod♕ges.

Clair Obscur is an absolutely incredible game that is worthy of 🔜being mentioned here, as fans of traditional JRPGs are sure to love it. With its mature characters and themes, outstanding story a🍸nd atmosphere, and extremely fun gameplay, Clair Obscur will go down as one of the best JRPGs ever created.

5 Ys 8: Lacrimosa Of Dana ⛦

Ys follows the journeys of Adol Christin, an adventurer and swordsman who travels across the world, chron💛icling his exploits. Ys 8 sees Adol shipwrecked on a mysterious island, where he eventually meets Dana, a girl from the prehistoric era.

Ys 8 is one of the best starting points for players new to Ys, showcasing the action-based🍷 gameplay and exploration that the series is known for. Building up the village on the island is also a lot of fun, as finding other castaways often unlocks new features or grants access to new areas.

4 The Legend Of Heroes: Trails Of Cold S𓆏teel

While Trails in the Sky is the first game of the Trails story, Trails of Cold Steel is an🍨other great entry point that is a bit more modern. This game follows a different set of characters in a different arc of the overall story.

You play as Rean Schwarzer, who 🔜attends Thors Military Academy, alongside his colorful cast๊ of classmates who quickly become allies. Overall, Trails of Cold Steel is fairly slice-of-life oriented, and the stakes are relatively low until the later parts of the game, where things start to ramp up.

3 🍬 💃 Super Robot Wars 30

Super Robot Wars 30 is a JRPG based on a dozen different beloved mecha franchises, such as Mobile Suit Gundam, Getter Robo, Code Geass, and a whole lot more. The gameplay is grid-based, where you cont🎀rol your fleet of robots to take down enemies. The difficulty is relatively tame, so the main draw of the game is seeing your favorite mech♏a fight alongside each other.

It has great attack anꦏimations that are as accurate to their source material as possible, letting you relive nostalgic moments or experience new ones. But again, if you aren't a fan of any of the original anime series or mecha in general, this one may not be for you.

2 ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ Unicorn Overlord

Unicorn Overlord is a tactical JRPG about a group of rebels led by the exiled Prince Alain as he attempts to overthrow𒅌 a corrupt empire. With Vanillaware's beautiful signature art style and character designs, Unicorn Overlord is not only a joy to look at, but its gameplay is endlessly compelling.

Using a system similar to Final Fantasy 12's Gambits, you will need to set up each of your characters' roles in combat, deciding which actions they will perform and when they will perform them. Tink𓆉ering with your army's setup is tons of fun, and battles can almost feel like puzzles as you work out the 🐈best way to arrange your units.

1 ღ 🍌 The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy

The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy is a half-visual novel, half-tactical JRPG developed by 💯Too Kyo Games, which was co-founded by the head creators of Danganronpa and the Zero Escape series. Set in an apocalyptic world, a group of students is forced to fight for their lives for 100 days against the mysterious invaders.

The Hundred Line is a truly unique experience, as it has 100 distinct endings to reach. Reaching the ending for the♋ first route is only scratching the surface of what the game has to offer, as you are then able to explore different scenarios and outcomes to put a🐽ll the mysteries together.

If you're familiar with Danganronpa or Zer🃏o Escape, you may have an inkling of what to expect in terms of the game's twists, but its scope is🅠 unlike anything ever conceived in the visual novel space.