Summary

  • Nier: Automata offers an emotionally draining story and fast-paced combat that's a must-play for JRPG fans.
  • Yakuza 0 nails rich character development and delivers one of the best stories in gaming.
  • Scarlet Nexus is a sleeper hit with ambitious gameplay and a remarkable cast of characters that will hook you.

JRPGs are pretty much a dime a dozen in the realm of gaming. From the basics like the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Final Fantasy and 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Dragon Quest series to the more complex and intricate adventures like 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Chrono Trigger and 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Bravely Default, there's something out there for everyone.

Featured Image for 10 Best Short JRPGs You Need To Play
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168澳洲幸运5开奖网: 𒁏20 Best Short JRPGs You Need T💮o Play

In the mood for a JRPG but lack the time needed to play one? Then thesওe short, excellent JRPG experiences are exactly what you need!

168澳洲幸𓂃运5开奖网:

The stop-and-go flow of turn-based combat and random encounters can be tedious for some players, but not all games in the genre have these features. In fact, there are a great many JRPGs that are as☂ action-packed as their Western cousins.

Updated January 05, 2024, by Sanyam Jain: Turn-based combat is an inherent part of most JRPGs out there. Thankfully, a lot more of them are also starting to appear without this element, and Ys X: Nordics is the perfect example of that.

24 ꦛ Nier: Automata

168澳洲幸运5开奖网: NieR: Automata
Action RPG

Released
Marc⭕h 7, 2017 𓂃
ESRB
M for Mature: Blood, Partial Nudity, Strong 🌌Language, Violencꦚe
Engine
🍰 ♚Proprietary Engine
Franchise
NieR
Platform(s)
PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch
How Long To Beat
22 Hours

One of the most emotionally draining titles ever released is 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Nier: Automata, which m♓ay not be a great selling point for some ꦡbut stick with us.

In terms of gameplay? Nier: Automata has a sleek, fast-paced combat system thanks to the wizards over at Platinum Games, which gave Yoko Taro and company a helping hand. There's truly nothing quite like Nier: Automata, and we sincerely cannot beg enough people to give it a chance. And, if you do happen t꧒o dive into it, don't forget the tissues.

23 Yakuza 0

Kiryu standing in the middle of a busy street in Yakuza 0, looking into camera.
168澳洲幸运5开奖网: Yakuza 0
Action
Adventure
Beat 'Em Up

Released
January🍨 24, 2017
ESRB
M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol ꦆ
Developer(s)
꧅ 🦩 Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
Publisher(s)
Sega
Engine
🔯 Dragon Engine
Franchise
Yakuza
How Long To Beat
32 Hours
Metascore
90
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty

While some will argue that the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Yakuza series, in general, is most certainly not a JRPG, it's always been one at heart. And isn't that what really matters in the end? Semantics aside, Yakuza 0 is one of the best games conceived and wears its JRPG influences onꦇ its sleeve.

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168澳洲幸运5开奖网: 10 JRPGs Where You Don't Fight God

Despite how awesome, the trope of defeating a God in a JRPG can get a tad s✱tale. Here are some JRPGs that avoid this with more fascinat𓆉ing encounters!

168澳洲幸运5开༺奖网:

With a killer soundtrack, over-the-top action, and rich character development, Yakuza 0 delivers one of the best s🧸tories in any game. Full st👍op. Brawl with some goons, sing some karaoke, and experience the events that started it all in this epic tale.

22 ꦗ Ys X: Nordics ꦿ

Ys X Nordics Karja standing in front of a runestone in Lecto Island.
168澳洲幸运5开奖网: Ys X: Nordics
JRPG
Action RPG
Hack and Slash

Released
𓆉 October 25, 2024 ꧟
ESRB
♐ 🥂 T For Teen // Blood, Language, Violence
Developer(s)
ꦚ Nihon Falcom, PH3 GmbH
Publisher(s)
168澳洲幸运5开奖网:NIS America, Clouded Leopardꦦ Entertainment 🍎
Engine
🐻 𒅌 Proprietary
Number of Players
1
Steam Deck Compatibility
Unknown
How Long To Beat
🍎 25.5 hours 🍌
How Long To Beat (Completionist Runs)
72 hours
OpenCritic Rating
Strong

Not only does Ys X: Nordic'🥃s combat not have any turn-based elements, but it also introduces a unique mechanic of dual combat where you use two characters simultaneously: Adol and Karja. Connected by an invisible mana bond, these two have to fight together from the very start of the game.

As you grow close to your Shield sister while fighting together, you'll have to v꧑isit different areas and remove the Greigr presence from them. You'll find various bosses on your pat𒊎h using the hack-and-slash combat, with each boss having many unique attacks.

21 🐎 🍷 Ys 8: Lacrimosa Of Dana

The Nameless Coast in Ys 8: Lacrimosa of Dana
168澳洲幸运5开奖网: Ys 8: Lacrimosa Of DANA
Action RPG

Released
𒈔 September 12, 2017 👍
ESRB
🎶 T For Teen Due To Blood, Fantasy Violence, Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol
Developer(s)
🦂 ꦚ Nihon Falcom
Publisher(s)
�ꦇ� Nihon Falcom
Engine
Ys 8
Franchise
Ys
PC Release Date
🎃 ဣ April 16, 2018
PS5 Release Date
November 15, 2022 ཧ
Nintendo Switch Release Date
💙 June 26, 2018🧔
How Long To Beat
38 Hours
Metascore
85
PS Plus Availability
Ext💝ra & Premium ღ
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty

Despite there being several installments in the Ys series, it is still a largely overlooked franchise, especially when considering how solid the vast majority of the catalog is. 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Ys 8: Lacrimosa of Dana♈ is amongst the better titles in the series and♌ delivers an unforgettable journey from start to finish.

Exhilara🍃ting combat, fascinating characters, and an engaging plot help cement Lacrimosa of Dana as one of the best JRPGs you can play, ev♛en more so now that it has been enhanced on the PlayStation 5 and PC, making the Isle of Seiren come to life and feel buttery smooth as your traverse through it.

20 🌞 The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom

Link standing on the edge of a sky island in The Legend Of Zelda Tears Of The Kingdom.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the King😼dom
Adventure
Action
Open-World
5.0/5
9.5/10

Released
May 12, 2023 ꦜ
ESRB
ꦕ Rated E for Everyone 10+ for Fantasy Violence and Mild Suggestive Themes
Developer(s)
Nintendo
Publisher(s)
Nintendo
Engine
Havok
Cross-Platform Play
N/A
Cross Save
N/A
Steam Deck Compatibility
n/a
How Long To Beat
59 Hours
X|S Optimized
n/a
Metascore
96
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty

When speaking about the best JRPGs with no trace of turn-based combat, it's hard not to instantly think about The Legend of Zelda series, which so෴me would argue isn't really a JRPG but rather just an Action/Adventure title. And to that, we respectfully🔯 disagree. But even if you don't think the shoe fits on this list, it's still a great game!

168澳洲幸运5♑开奖网:The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom takes what its groundbreaking predecessor excelled at and somehow makes it even better, all 𝓰the whil𓆉e polishing up the aspects that were sort of lacking, making it one of the best JRPG experiences you could ever wish for.

19 🏅 Scarlet Nexus

Key art showcasing the cast of Scarlet Nexus
168澳洲幸运5开奖网: Scarlet Nexus
Action RPG

Released
🍸 June 25, 2021
ESRB
T foꦜr Teen: Alcohol Reference, Blood, Mild Language, V🍸iolence
Engine
🍷 Unreal Engine 4
How Long To Beat
25 Hours
PS Plus Availability
ꦜ Extra & Premium
OpenCritic Rating
Strong

168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Scarlet Nexus, simply put, is one of the genre's biggest sleeper hits that deserves a shot. While the game's storyꦗ is quite ambitious, the gameplay manages to be somehow even more ambitious and is genuinely all killer, no filler in its execution.

Flashy, fu𓆏n, deep, and rewarding, Scarlet Nexus is a heck of a game. The cast of characters present in Scarlet Nexus is remarkable and will have you falling for them before the credits roll.

18 🌼 🥃 Souls Series

168澳洲幸运5开奖网: Dark Souls 3
Action RPG
10.0/10

Released
🤡 March 24, 2016 🅺
ESRB
M for Mature: Blood Violence 🐼
Developer(s)
From Software 𓂃
Engine
havok, pr𝓡oprietary engine 🍌
Multiplayer
ꦯ Online Co-Op, Oꦓnline Multiplayer
Platform(s)
PS4, Xbox One, PC

It's probably not the first series that comes to mind when one hears the term JRPG, but 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:the Souls series is indeed☂ one of the most-played titles in the genre. That being said, it's definitely not for everyone and is often overlooked as a "true JRPG" due to it being heavily inspired by western fantasy.

Serge and Kid riding smiling and riding a boat, Joker posing in front of his teammates, and Melia holding her spear with her back slightly turned
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Even with that said, the Souls titles are still JRPGs in the grand scheme of things and are pretty dang good ones, all things considered. While it may be a grueling, unforgiving experience for anyone who plays them fo꧃r the first time, they are genuinely one of the most rewarding games out there.

17 ✃ Elden Ring

The Tarnished riding a horse and looking at the Erdtree in Elden Ring.
168澳洲幸运5开奖网: Elden Ring
RPG
Action
10.0/10

Released
💝 February 25, 2022 ꦏ
ESRB
൩ M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Lang♔uage, Suggestive Themes, Violence
Developer(s)
From Software 🍌
Engine
Proprietary 🔯
Multiplayer
𒐪 Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
Cross-Platform Play
PS4 & PS5 𝕴and Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S ♋
Cross Save
no
Steam Deck Compatibility
yes
How Long To Beat
58 Hours
X|S Optimized
yes
Metascore
96
Platforms That Support Crossplay
♊ PS4 & PS5 and Xb🗹ox One & Xbox Series X|S
PS Plus Availability
N/A
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty

Yes, we know the 'Souls Series' is literally directly above this entry, but 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Elden Ring is on an entirely different level at this rate that we felt it needed its own section. Even more so now, considering its first expansion, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Shadow of the Erdtree, 🎃ꦅis just as captivating and rewarding as the base game was.

Elden Ring is one of the best open-world JRPG♔s you can get your hands on and has the level of quality aꦑnd challenge you'd expect from a FromSoftware title, making it all the more rewarding when you finally take down a boss you've been stuck on for hours on end!

16 ༒ Neo: The World Ends With You ✤

NEO: The World Ends With You screenshot of Rindo running through the streets of Shibuya.
NEO: The World Ends with You
Action RPG

Released
♒ ꦬ July 27, 2021
ESRB
T For Teen Due T🌞o Fantasy Violence, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes𒐪
Developer(s)
꧙ Square Enix, h.a.n.d. ꦚ
Publisher(s)
🅷 Square Enix ༺
Engine
Unity
How Long To Beat
41 Hours
PS Plus Availability
N/A
OpenCritic Rating
Strong

The World Ends With You is a series with unmatched style and storytelling, but it is also a series that is criminally underrated and deserves a much broader audience than it currently h🔜as.

However, fans were fortunate to receive a sequel to The World Ends With You fourteen years later with 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Neo: The World Ends With You, an excellent continuation of the world and fascinating premise of the original with an updated combat system that ꦕmakes it a must-play for any Action JRPG fan looking for snappy and fun combat and an emotional powerhouse of a story.

15 𝕴 Final Fantasyꦯ 16

168澳洲幸运5开奖网: Final Fantasy 16
Action RPG
4.5/5
10.0/10

Released
💛 June 2ꦏ2, 2023
ESRB
M For ﷽Mature 17+ Due To🐷 Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence
Engine
Proprietary Engine ꧟ 𒁏
Cross-Platform Play
Final Fantasy 16 does not support c𝓡ross platform multiplayer 🌠
Cross Save
yes
Steam Deck Compatibility
yes
Platform(s)
PC, PS5
How Long To Beat
36 Hours
X|S Optimized
no
Metascore
88
PS Plus Availability
N/A
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty

168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Final Fantasy 16 had tremendous amounts of pressure placed o🅺n its shoulders due to its predecessor being one of the most polarizing installments in the series and the developer being the team behind the critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy 14.

Fortunately, Creative Bu🍷siness Unit III knocked yet another title out of the park, bringing one of the best combat systems alive and an engaging and emotional story filled with remarkable characters, music, and locations. Final Fantasy 16 may not be what some wanted, but it's unquestionable that the team nailed what they set out to do!