Summary
- JRPGs like Final Fantasy 15 offer first-person exploration options for immersive gameplay.
- Dragon Quest Builders 2 improves on first-person gameplay for a more engaging experience.
- Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux returns to first-person exploration in the JRPG genre.
When RPG fans think about first-person experiences, games like Fallout or The Elder Scrolls come to mind. Many Western RPGs are set in the first-person, and the perspective overall is popular in the West, from RPGs to shooters. Typically, most RPGs from Japan are in the third person, but there are exceptions.
15 Best RPGs If You Like First-Person Exploration, Ranked
For fans of first-person exploration in video games, these remarkable RPGs are likely to impress.
For RPG fans who do enjoy games like The Elder Scrolls but want a Japanese flavor to their experiences, then these JRPGs should be checked out. This list explore and celebrates some of the best examples, whether these games are fully in first-person or just have a strong first-person option available. Entries will be ranked based on immersion and overall quality.
8 Final Fantasy 15
An Admirable Attempt
Final Fantasy 15
- Released
- November 9, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Final Fantasy 15 is best experienced as an action game, the first mainline example in the franchise, as protagonist Noctis can zip around the battlefield with his warping blades. However, if players want to more immersively explore this vast open-world game, then they can switch to the first-person mode.
It’s still easy to gather items, platform, and just get around in general, and the world is dazzling to explore. It can be tricky at times to fight from a first-person perspective, but it’s an option and not a punishment, so players can engage as they like.
7 Dragon Quest Builders 2
The Minecraft Legacy
Dragon Quest Builders 2
- Released
- July 12, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix, Omega Force
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Adventure
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Dragon Quest Builders 2 is an improvement over the original in many ways as a Minecraft clone. Minecraft, for all who have played it, excelled because of the first-person perspective that Dragon Quest Builders lacked but the sequel gained. Another improvement was the persistent leveling-up mechanics and overall polish of the action and crafting gameplay.
Dragon Quest Builders 2 is still a bit janky to play in first-person as opposed to third-person, but it’s still a great option to have — especially when trying to build and explore.
6 Ray Gigant
Battle The Gods
Ray Gigant
Ray Gigant is the first game worth mentioning that was designed fully around the first-person perspective. Players are part of a team that fights colossally sized monsters who are trying to destroy the world. Gameplay is divided into two segments, with players mostly diving into dungeons, exploring in first-person, and fighting in turn-based battles.
The other section is against these massive monsters in boss battles with stunning animations. It was released first on the Vita and was great on the handheld, but it got a decent port on PC too — but that version has now sadly been delisted on Steam.
5 Beyond The Labyrinth
Something Is Not Right About This Game
Beyond the Labyrinth
- Released
- January 19, 2012
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Tri-Ace
- Publisher(s)
- Konami
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo 3DS
Beyond the Labyrinth is one of the more intriguing games on the list that many probably haven’t played, let alone heard of, despite its great legacy. Released on the 3DS in 2012 in Japan, the game was developed by tri-Ace who many probably know from Star Ocean, and published by the legendary Konami.
The story is about a group of online players joining up in a dungeon crawler when a mystery girl appears with amnesia. Players can attack with these friends, and the girl will assist randomly, which is engaging —but not as much as the story.
4 Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth
A Perfect Crossover Arrived Too Late
Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth
- Released
- June 4, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- P-Studio
- Publisher(s)
- Deep Silver, Sega
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
- Platform(s)
- 3DS
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth was, quite frankly, released too late in the 3DS’s life cycle (2019 in North America), which was two years after the Switch debuted and ate the 3DS’s lunch. Despite the bad launch time, the game is an underrated gem and a strong improvement over the original.
Players can create a party based on characters from Persona 3, Persona 4, and Persona 5. It’s the ultimate crossover RPG for fans of the Persona series, which uses a lot of the map layout and dungeon-crawling mechanics found in the Etrian Odyssey games but with a sillier tone overall.
3 Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux
Frozen In First-Person
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux
- Released
- May 15, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Atlus, Lancarse
- Publisher(s)
- Atlus, Deep Silver
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
- Platform(s)
- 3DS, Nintendo DS
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey was first released on the DS but then was re-released as Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux on the 3DS. Both games made a return to the first-person perspective, which is how the Shin Megami Tensei series started, including the first Persona game.
This game saw players go to Antarctica to explore a mysterious dungeon that was uncovered. Inside, players can befriend demons to join their party, and it’s the more serious Shin Megami Tensei game compared to the fan-service-heavy Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth.
2 Shining The Holy Ark
A Forgotten Classic
Shining the Holy Ark
- Released
- December 20, 1996
- Platform(s)
- Sega Saturn
The Sega Saturn and GameCube share a lot in common because many of their best games remain trapped on their consoles, almost completely forgotten over time. Enter Shining the Holy Ark, one of the best RPGs on the Sega Saturn in the now-forgotten Sega series, Shining. It was developed by Camelot, who worked on many Shining games before creating Golden Sun and working on golf-based Mario games for Nintendo.
Shining the Holy Ark was a dungeon explorer like most other entries on here, but the seamless transition between exploration and combat was unreal in 1997. Golden Sun fans especially owe it to themselves to track this one down.
1 Etrian Odyssey 4: Legends Of The Titan
A Legend Indeed
Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan
- Released
- February 26, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Atlus
- Publisher(s)
- Atlus
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Dungeon Crawler
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo 3DS
The first Etrian Odyssey game on the Nintendo DS was a breath of fresh air thanks to its bright color pallet, class system, challenge level, and a throwback to old-school PC map mechanics. It asked a lot from players, but they got fully immersed in the trilogy on DS. Then came Etrian Odyssey 4: Legends of the Titan, which was the first entry on the 3DS, and the series leveled up.
More classes, more difficulty options, better-planned maps, a bigger world, and so much more. It was inviting to beginners but still kept that edge for the hardcore. This series is the epitome of first-person exploration in JRPGs, and there’s no better place to start than the top.
6 Best Final Fantasy Games Not Developed By Square Enix, Ranked
Other developers outside of Square Enix have had a hand at various Final Fantasy games, and the following are some of the best examples of it.