Summary
- JRPGs cater to a wide audience with challenging combat, expansive worlds, and lovable characters.
- Games with large character rosters offer diverse party compositions and emotional depth.
- Titles like Star Ocean: Second Story R provide replayability with multiple endings and recruitments.
JRPGs appeal to an incredibly broad array of players. There are those seeking to challenge themselves with incredibly difficult combat and gameplay that relies on strategy and tactics. There are people wanting to lose themselves in huge, fantastical worlds and stories. And there are those who want to fall in love with a new cast of characters setting off on a journey. The best JRPGs will, of course, offer each of these things in at least some capacity.
10 Best Plot Twists In JRPGs, Ranked
Get ready for jaw-dropping moments as these JRPGs deliver plot twists that add depth to every adventure.
One of the best ways to make sure players have a character they truly connect with is to give them a lot to choose from. JRPGs with large casts mean players have more party compositions to create, and more distinct personalities to explore as they continue through the game. A tighter, more intimate party is great, especially for more emotional JRPGs, but for those looking to explore titles with expansive casts, all of these action JRPGs have more than 10 characters to play as.
7 Star Ocean: Second Story R
An Excellent Title With A Great Cast
Star Ocean: The Second Story R
- Released
- November 2, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
This JRPG has been lovingly remastered in that iconic HD 2-D style that Square Enix has become known for in recent years. The Star Ocean franchise has held quite a few fantastic titles under its belt, but this remastered edition of Second Story has to be one of the best in the entire series. Titles that meld sci-fi and fantasy elements together so succinctly are few and far between, making Second Story R stand out even more.
The game overall has 13 playable characters, though players will not be able to recruit or access them all in one playthrough. This is because the player's choice of protagonist and the path they take to one of this game's whopping 99 possible endings will all shape who they end up recruiting. The sheer replayability of this title means that going through the story again for different endings and recruitments is never a slog, however.
6 Granblue Fantasy: Relink
A Startlingly Good JRPG
Granblue Fantasy: Relink
- Released
- February 1, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
An incredibly unique title that has players flying between huge, floating islands in the sky, Granblue Fantasy: Relink is the perfect high fantasy gam e for players to lose themselves with. Each of the 17 playable characters brings something new and interesting to the table, with a focused party role and an excellent backstory to explore.
8 Best JRPGs With Very Little Backtracking, Ranked
No one likes backtracking and how tedious it is. Fortunately, JRPG fans are blessed with these games that have relatively little of it.
This game features a co-op mode, but when played solo, players can choose to take on the role of one of these characters while taking on another three as AI companions. There are a myriad of quests to take on among the clouds.
5 DioField Chronicle
A Unique, Tactical Battle Style
The DioField Chronicle
- Released
- September 22, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix, Lancarse
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, PS4, Switch, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- Strategy, RPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
Square Enix might be best known for their flagship series like Final Fantasy or Kingdom Hearts, but they're always releasing new JRPGs in unique fantasy or sci-fi worlds to see what sticks with audiences and what doesn't. DioField Chronicle was not as well-received as Square Enix might've liked, but despite its flaws, this is an incredibly unique, tactical action JRPG with plenty of characters to recruit.
The total number of playable characters rounds out at 16 for DioField Chronicle, with some of these being optional recruits players can pick up from side quests. Each character has unique abilities that help them fill out a niche in the squad overall.
4 Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
Many Playable Characters Across Many Arcs
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
- Released
- January 16, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- CyberConnect2
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Platform(s)
- Stadia, PS4, Switch, Xbox One, PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
Totaling up free roam mode, different story arcs, and DLC, there are a total of seventeen playable characters in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot. This game is an absolute must for die-hard DBZ fans. It's more concerned with the minutiae and smallest details of the manga and anime than any other Dragon Ball game, which often abridges the lengthy arcs of the anime into easier-to-digest, episodic installments.
No characters can be a constant throughout the game, as players have different characters to play as depending on what arc they're up to, but this only adds to the diversity of the story overall, and is a great way to experience the story of DBZ.
3 Radiata Stories
An Older But Incredibly Respected Classic
Radiata Stories
- Released
- January 27, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 2
While The Elder Scrolls seems to have made the biggest splash with its individual NPC schedules, Radiata Stories was touting a similar mechanic a full year before Oblivion's release. There are a whopping 176 recruitable NPCs that players can have fight alongside the three main characters in this story.
Each NPC has their own routine based on the world's day/night shift, as well as a backstory and unique personality. There's also the opportunity for multiple endings, new game plus, rewards for exploration... It begs the question, why has this game not been remastered yet?
2 Final Fantasy Type 0
A Slick And Sleek Installment In The Series
Final Fantasy Type-0 HD
- Released
- March 17, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix, HexaDrive
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
Build a party from among the 14 members of Class 0, who are sent on perilous journeys throughout the land. Final Fantasy Type 0 is one of the more complicated Final Fantasy titles, but the HD remake does a good job tying the whole game together in a way that is palatable for players.
That sleek, stylish, "urban fantasy" style that punctuated many Final Fantasy games is in full force here, and each member of Class 0 is an in-depth and well-realized character with their own personality and background.
1 Xenoblade Chronicles X
One Of The Best Entries In This Storied Series
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition
- Released
- March 20, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Monolith Soft
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch
Rounding out this list is the amazing Xenoblade Chronicles X, which features 13 playable characters that can be recruited through either the main quest or various side quests that can be tackled as the story continues.
Each character has their own proficiencies with different equipment pieces, and adding to the characters available in the base game, there are four characters available from DLC, giving players a host of options when it comes to party composition.
8 JRPGs With The Best Introductions, Ranked
First impressions are important in gaming, and these JRPGs hook players right in with their gripping introductions.