Best Horror JRPGs

Anyone who knows their horror also knows that few do it better than the Japanese. J-horror (as it's often called) is known for its extreme power, its idiosyncratic choices, and its incredibly effective imagery. J-horror is more than willing to go where others won't, and that makes for some of the best gaming experiences around and some of the darkest JRPGs ever made.

RELATED

5 Best Urban Fantasy JRPGs, Ranked

Urban Fantasy is the preferred setting for several critically acclaimed JRPGs. These are the best among them.

Posts

By  Ritwik Mitra

JRPG fans also know that the Japanese are incredible at making RPGs, so it should be no surprise that fusing J-horror and JRPGs together results in some of the best games ever made. Every gamer should check these out.

6 Koudelka

Welsh Horror JRPG? You Better Believe It.

Though it's obscure, Koudelka is one of the most unique horror JRPGs ever made, particularly because of its idiosyncratic setting of a Welsh monastery in the late 1800s that fuses the eccentricities of the JRPG with the time-tested power of Gothic horror. What results is a strange but utterly beguiling JRPG that tackles dark and complex themes making it an underappreciated trail-blazer in the genre, that almost certainly inspired many games to come.

Koudelka also boasts a unique fusion of RPG mechanics, survival horror, and adventure games also set to the beat of an incredible soundtrack by Secret of Mana's very own Hiroki Kikuta. Needless to say, Koudelka has the bonafides, and any JRPG horror fan would be hard pressed to find a game as unique or interesting as Koudelka.

5 Shadow Hearts: Covenant

Lovecraftian WW1 JRPG Horror Hybrid Somehow Works Wonders

Also known as Shadow Hearts II in Japan, Shadow Hearts: Covenant offers another unique J-horror setting of World War 1 combined with the "Judgment Ring System", a set of combat mechanics that require precise timing from the player as well as on-the-fly strategic decisions.

Its J-horror bonafides are strong too. Boasting a dark story that that delves into truly unsettling places while still retaining a wry sense of humor, Shadow Hearts: Covenant is the perfect jumping in place for those who have never played a Shadow Hearts game before and is one of the best games set during World War 1.

4 Parasite Eve

The Creative Madness of Late 90s Square

Parasite Eve is a legend in the horror JRPG space, and deservedly so. Alongside Koudelka, Parasite Eve successfully fused JRPG mechanics with the tell-tale gameplay of the burgeoning survival horror genre, resulting in a unique blend of scares and mechanical engagement that has inspired a whole slew of games in the modern day.

RELATED

Best PS1 Horror Games

The PlayStation 1 console has some of the most immersive and terrifying games that haunt players even today. Here are some of the scariest PS1 Games.

Posts

By  Aimee Wilds

However, the real uniqueness comes from the game's innovative sci-fi horror storyline based on a novel by Hideaki Sena about mitochondrial evolution, all set during Christmas in New York. Yeah, it's out there, but it's a hell of a ride too and a great jumping in point for anyone who wants to delve deep into this era of gaming.

3 Sweet Home

The Original JRPG Horror Bonanza

There's no doubt that Sweet Home is the grand-daddy of every J-horror game that would arrive afterwards, and it just so happens to be a great little RPG too. Riffing on horror classics of the 1980s, Sweet Home takes place in a haunted mansion with a wide cast of characters who must survive the various ghosts and ghouls in order to survive.

With several unique endings depending on which characters survive as well as fusing JRPG mechanics with fun scares, Sweet Home may not be the scariest game of all time, but it has rightfully earned its place in the hall of fame as one of the most impotant horror JPRGs ever made and is tragically one of the most often forgotten.

2 Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne

Post-Apocalypse Cult Horror With JRPG Bonafides

Any Persona fan will tell you that the games can strike a great horror tone when they want, and most of that can probably be traced back to Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne, the cousin of the Persona series. The games takes place in the post-apocalypse where Tokyo has been turned into a surreal nightmare scape for the player to explore making it one of the best post-apocalyptic games of all time.

The JRPG mechanics are strong here with extremely challenging combat and in-depth customization that will test even the most hardcore JRPG fan. Paired with Shoji Meguro's haunting soundtrack, this one is an incredibly memorable horror JPRG that sticks with the player long after the end credits roll.

1 Bloodborne

The SoulsBorne Horror JRPG To Rule Them All

What can be said about Bloodborne that hasn't already? Arriving in 2015, Bloodborne was From Software's first major innovation to the Souls formula established in the Dark Souls games, and it is a hell of a jump. The game focuses on aggression above all else, with incredibly powerful bosses and enemies that attack non stop, and blood drenching the gothic streets of Yarnham.

However, the game also reads as a love letter to horror fiction. What starts as Gothic horror masterpiece soon turns into a love of body horror, before making a final masterful turn towards Lovecraftian cosmic horror, resulting in a game that feels like a tribute to the incredible work that came before it, and everything that was still to come. Every JRPG horror fan should play this at their earliest opportunity.

MORE

Best Handheld Turn-Based JRPGs, Ranked

Handheld console gamers and JRPG fans rejoice as these wonderful turn-based titles are perfect to enjoy while on the go.

Posts 3

By  Danny Guan