Summary
- JRPGs are infamous for their length due to grinding for EXP.
- Some JRPGs have false endings that reveal more gameplay after completion.
- Games like Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter feature challenging mechanics leading to potential burnout.
Rolling credits on a JRPG is a fantastic feeling. Many people can remember completing their first JRPG, be it Dragon Warrior on the NES in the 80s or Final Fantasy 7 on the PS1 in the 90s. That’s because JRPGs are notorious for being long, thanks to the constant need to grind for EXP and notoriously expansive and in-depth stories.
As the genre has evolved, grinding hasn't been as problematic, but other factors can still lead to burnout. That’s why not everyone can complete them, which just makes reaching those end credits all the more rewarding. The following JRPGs are all fantastic, past and present, but by the end, they can make players feel like they need a vacation.
Bravely Default: Flying Fairy
Looping Around
Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster
- Released
- June 5, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
Bravely Default: Flying Fairy was a great JRPG on the 3DS and even better on the Switch 2 thanks to Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster. Both versions are almost identical in terms of gameplay, with a typical narrative following four warriors as they attempt to revive the planet with the aid of elemental crystals.
Just when players think they've reached the end, there's a twist. Elaborating further would reveal too much, so let’s just say that when it seems like the end is in sight, it turns out that players have only finished a third of the game, and the rest involves a lot of backtracking.
Valkyria Chronicles 4
War Is Hell
Valkyria Chronicles 4
- Released
- September 25, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Genre(s)
- Strategy, RPG
Valkyria Chronicles 4 is the latest entry in the series, and offers players a World War 2-like fantasy campaign set in a vaguely European country. Players move their units freely, a rarity for a tactical JRPG, and aim at enemies whenever they stop. It's an innovative battle system on the PS3, similar to the original, and it remains great in this fourth entry.
However, this game’s main missions can take an hour or more to complete, and that’s not even taking into account using save scum techniques. Like real war, Valkyria Chronicles 4’s battles can feel like hell after a while.
Breath Of Fire: Dragon Quarter
Trial By Fire
Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter
- Released
- November 2, 2002
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Genre(s)
- JRPG, Strategy
Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter is easily one of the hardest JRPGs, or RPGs, on the PS2. There is a gameplay mechanic in the game called the D-Counter, which ticks down after every movement, from battles to walking around.
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If it reaches 100% then it's Game Over, but thankfully, players can reset the game if they want to start over with some carried-over data. Doing this upwards of four, five, maybe even ten times and experiencing the same story over and over again can quickly become monotonous and wear on any JRPG fan’s soul, even if they're engaging in the game's story.
NieR: Automata
Three Fates, One Ending, Then Two More Endings
NieR: Automata
- Released
- March 7, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Like Bravely Default: Flying Fairy, NieR: Automata has a case of false hopes. Players start as the android, 2B, and her partner, 9S, on a mission to explore Earth and drive out the remaining alien robots to make it habitable for humans again.
Completing the game and rolling credits one time is only a third of NieR: Automata’s content. Two more major campaigns await players, each with a new protagonist and gameplay style. While the characters are different, most of the same areas are revisited, and it can easily take 60–80 hours to complete if players are doing side quests.
Xenoblade Chronicles
An Amazing Accomplishment For The Wii
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
- Released
- May 29, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Mild Language, Partial Nudity, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Xenoblade Chronicles is a miracle on the Wii. Monolith Soft managed to pack a giant open-world onto the system without suffering a lot of glitches or loading problems. It's beyond epic and easier to play with the Switch remaster, thanks to some quality-of-life changes.
That said, the game can still take as long as a hundred hours to complete, and that’s not even counting every side quest. Thanks to the strategic elements added to the MMO-style combat, it still feels fresh after all that playtime, but that doesn’t mean that it can't also drag on at times.
Dragon Quest 11: Echoes Of An Elusive Age
Just When You Think You've Beaten It, They Pull You Back In
Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age
- Released
- September 4, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Crude Humor, Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Simulated Gambling, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
Dragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Elusive Age does not have the looping problem of the previously mentioned games, but it does have a false ending. Getting to the “final boss” can feel like one of the longest journeys in the Dragon Quest series, and then an additional quest opens up.
This additional quest adds about twenty hours to the game on top of what players have already accumulated during their turn-based grinding. To get into further details would spoil things, but completing this post-game section will lead to a better ending, even if it exhausts players in the process.
Persona 5 Royal
Adding More To An Already Huge Game
Persona 5 Royal
- Released
- October 31, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Genre(s)
- JRPG, Adventure
The original version of Persona 5 was already long, but the expanded edition found in Persona 5 Royal adds more content in between the original stuff, along with a deeper post-game. Persona games, since the third entry, have become notorious for being stuffed, and unlike other JRPGs where content can be skipped, this is a more linear experience.
The day-by-day structure, spanning nearly a year, can make players feel like they are truly attending school in Japan. This structure allows the game to breathe and gives players a bigger connection with characters, but it can still feel like work sometimes.
Final Fantasy 14
Welcome To Your Life
Final Fantasy 14
- Released
- August 27, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen - Language, Mild Blood, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Genre(s)
- MMORPG
Final Fantasy 14 is the ultimate time investment, and can feel more like a job than a video game. Even the original version—after the reboot, that is—was filled with weeks' worth of content.
Anyone jumping in now has expansions upon expansions of missions to try and complete. It’s one of the best entries in the Final Fantasy franchise, but like a lot of MMOs, burnout is inevitable without proper pacing or knowing when the true end is in sight.
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