Summary
- JRPGs offer diverse sub-genres, catering to different gamers and preferences.
- Hidden gems like Slayers and Energy Breaker showcase unique offerings of a bygone era.
- Less-known JRPGs like Lufia 2 and Shadow Hearts are still worth exploring.
RPGs have become some of the most popular games in the world, especially with all the different sub-genres of RPG out there. From the fast-paced action RPG to the more methodical tactics-based RPG, there really is something for every type of gamer in the genre.
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JRPGs made their rise in Japan (hence the name) in the 1980s on home computers like the MSX and consoles like the NES, often having more of a focus on their story and characters when compared to western RPGs of the time. It's a subgenre that has had many popular titles over the years, but it has also seen a fair number of hidden gems in that time, usually going unnoticed among the big releases like Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest entries.
7 Slayers (1994)
Based on the Popular 1990s Light-Novel Series
- Released: June 24, 1994
- Genre(s): RPG
- Platform(s): SNES
Released for the Super Famicom in 1994, Slayers is based on the light-novel series of the same name and released a year before the first season of its original anime series.
The game follows Lina Inverse, a sorceress who awakens with seemingly no recollection of her spells and powers. She forms a party with other sorceresses and re-learns her spells throughout their quest to defeat the evil Beast, Zelas Metallium. It follows the turn-based combat formula that is common for JRPGs, but its mix of good, comedic dialogue and likable characters is what makes Slayers somewhat of a charming, hidden gem among the expansive subgenre.
6 Radiata Stories (2005)
From Underwhelming Launch to Hidden Gem
Radiata Stories
- Released
- January 27, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 2
Radiata Stories is a bit of a strange case compared to other games on this list, being hit with mostly “meh” reviews initially when it was released in 2005, despite being one of the most anticipated games of that year in Japan.
However, the game would develop a tight-knit and dedicated fan base as time went on, as many have come to regard the game for its unique differences to other JRPGs. For example, the game focused pretty heavily on its persistent world, meaning that things would change in the world as the game progressed. While it features rather straight-forward action-based combat, Radiata Stories’ interesting worldbuilding and charming artstyle are what make it such a worthwhile PS2 title for JRPG fans to revisit.
5 Energy Breaker (1996)
A Unique Mixture of Turn-Based Gameplay Styles
- Released: July 26, 1996
- Genre(s): RPG
- Platform(s): SNES
Energy Breaker is probably one of the lesser-known JRPG titles for most of the world due to it only being localized for Japan and never receiving a sequel. Nonetheless, this hidden-gem has a unique take on the traditional JRPG formula of the time.
The game features the traditional role-playing elements, where players can roam around the world, towns, and dungeons outside of combat. But Energy Breaker also mixes in an isometric, tactics-based combat system, instead of the more simple turn-based battles. The story follows a girl named Myra on her quest to stop the four Dark Generals from acquiring four powerful jewels, even time-traveling to meet new party members that assist her along the way.
4 Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistrals
A Lesser-Known JRPG Series that Deserves More Recognition
Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals
- Released
- February 24, 1995
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Neverland Co.
Lufia is one of the lesser-known franchises when it comes to JRPGs of the 1990s, mostly being overshadowed by other big series at the time. But its second entry, Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistrals, managed to bring in a small but dedicated fan base, who consider it to be one of the more overlooked JRPGs on the SNES.
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Serving as a prequel to Lufia & the Fortress of Doom, the story in Lufia 2 surrounds Maxim, an ancestor of the first game’s main character, and follows the events of a war between mankind and the Sinistrals gods. While the first entry was also a great title, the second game makes a number of welcome changes and improvements. Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistrals offered more polished gameplay mechanics, with a more fleshed-out storyline, characters, and puzzles — all points that helped it generate its long-devoted fan base that still praise the game today.
3 Shadow Hearts (2001)
A Distinctive Horror-Themed JRPG
Shadow Hearts
- Released
- December 12, 2001
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 2
Shadow Hearts is yet another interesting JRPG with its mixture of both turn-based combat and survival horror elements, with the same very distinctive theme and setting, much like its 1999 predecessor, Koudelka for the PS1.
While most JRPGs are known for their fantasy settings, Shadow Hearts instead takes place during the early 1900s across parts of both Europe and China. Following the main character, Yuri, who has the power to shapeshift into the monsters he captures, strives to protect his friend Alice from an evil magician — and hopefully defeat them in the process. While Shadow Hearts features a pretty standard turn-based battle system, what really set this PS2 title apart was its very atypical and interesting setting for a JRPG, making its plot and characters all the more interesting to learn more about along the way.
2 Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber (1999)
A Unique, Tactical JRPG for the Nintendo 64
- Released: July 14, 19993
- Genre(s): RPG
- Platform(s): Nintendo 64
The Ogre Battle games aren't exactly "hidden gem" titles, so to speak, with popular releases like Tactics Ogre and its more recent remaster. But its first and only Nintendo 64 entry, Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber, has mostly gone unnoticed over the years compared to the success of its other releases.
Ogre Battle 64 is a tactical RPG, making it pretty unique for the N64, which focused much more on real-time action rather than turn-based games. The plot follows an army captain named Magnus as they command a battalion of troops during a civil war, siding with revolutionary forces to hopefully end the conflict and restore peace to Alba. It stood out not only for its focus on strategic gameplay, but also the freedom it allowed players in building their own units, assigning members, and leading them into battle.
While Ogre Battle 64 was initially seen as a bit too complex for many, the game was a one-of-a-kind release for the N64 — and a JRPG absolutely worth giving a shot for any fans of strategic combat.
1 Skies of Arcadia (2000)
Airship Pirates Navigating Vast Open Skies
Skies of Arcadia
- Released
- October 5, 2000
- ESRB
- t // Mild Animated Violence, Suggestive Themes
- Publisher(s)
- Sega
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
- Platform(s)
- Sega Dreamcast, GameCube
Skies of Arcadia is probably best known for its later Gamecube port, mostly because it originally released to somewhat underwhelming sales on the Sega Dreamcast in 2000, despite later becoming a universally acclaimed JRPG.
Taking place in the titular Skies of Arcadia, the game follows the main character, Vyse, as they navigate an airship through the skies with a party of up to three other characters. Their objective is to repel the evil Valuan Empire, who seek to take over the world with a weapon of mass destruction that has been sealed away for many years. Regardless of its low initial sales, and the darker undertones of its plots, Skies of Arcadia became a highly praised JRPG that is well worth checking out, especially for its unique theme and pleasant artstyle.
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