Summary
JRPGsare renowned for their unique plots, Japanese-style user interfaces, and epic storytelling. They stand out from western RPGs because of their absolutely gorgeous visuals, their relatively slow-paced stories, and their outrageously detailed maps and mechanics. While these elements can be found in many other game genres, nothing executes them quite like JRPGs.
New JRPGs are released quite often, ranking them can be tricky. This is why demos are the perfect way to gauge how much you’ll enjoy a particular game. With games like FF16, it’s clear that trying the best JRPGs before you buy is a smart move.
NieR: Automata is a masterpiece of a JRPG with a hardcore premise and plenty of twists to keep you fully immersed. Its simple-to-follow storyline combined with fairly challenging mechanics, makes it accessible to both new gamers and veterans. The gameplay revolves around weapon dealing, battling, and learning skills primarily for melee combat.
As the storyline is focused on war, NieR: Automata isall about action-packed battlesand a lot of attacking. However, for those who’re more inclined towards stunning visuals and adventure, NieR: Automata has an absolutely gorgeous setting with massive green landscapes and oddly unsettling environments that make it a treat to play.
A free demo of NieR: Automata, offering about 30 minutes of gameplay, is available on the PlayStation Store.
Octopath Traveler is a pixel JRPG, with a 3D design inspired by the older 90s-style 2D games. Fun background music, stylish esthetics, and a narrative-driven plot are what makethis turn-based RPGamong the better JRPGs to play.
It follows eight travelers on eight different adventures and makes one video game out of it. With the option to play any one of the eight travelers, Octopath Traveler essentially becomes eight games in one package.
The game is designed so that each of the characters and chapters can be played in almost any order. The storylines are all short and interconnected to create a larger plot with combat battles driving the game. With lots of side quests, a highly flexible game path, and interesting protagonists, this game is an absolute treat for gamers.
The demo for Octopath Traveler allows about three hours of playtime, during which players can choose any traveler’s character. Once finished, the demo can be restarted to play a different character for another 3 hours, and so on.
The third game of the Octopath series, Octopath Traveler 2, takes place in a completely different land known as Solistia. Although it is a sequel, it remains largely consistent with its predecessor in terms of gameplay, featuring a turn-based combat system and similar mechanics. However, it introduces eight entirely new characters.
Octopath Traveler 2 allows the players to control the game and lets them choose between playing the main quest on their own or recruiting new characters. This game is an upgrade to the first game in terms of game design, graphics, and functionality. The demo for Octopath Traveler 2 follows a similar accessibility structure as the first installment, offering about three hours of playtime for each character.
Genre(s)
RPG
Star Ocean: The Second Story R isone of the oldest JRPGson this list, with it dating back to the golden age of JRPGs. It’s one of those puzzling mystical games that keeps you completely locked in for hours. It’s a sci-fi RPG that features extensive mystic elements and is oddly set in a medieval-esque world — talk about having the best of all worlds.
The game’s story revolves around Claude C. Kenni, a young space Federation officer who is mysteriously transported to a foreign planet, where he is guided by another playable character, Rena. Rena and Claude have to work together in order to alter the flow of the story, to prevent the catastrophe threatening Expel (the mysterious planet Claude’s been transported to).
The demo of the game allows a playtime of three hours or until the goal of reaching the Krosse Cave exit is achieved, with a restriction on character level upgrade.
Triangle Strategy is a tactical RPGfeaturing strategy, politics, war and an extensive, rich storyline that branches in many directions. The game is set in the land of Norzelia, where the protagonist has to navigate tricky situations with their morality and sense of justice.
Triangle Strategy provides players with a variety of characters to choose from, each with unique skills that influence the direction of the plot. Besides the main characters, several supporting characters are set in the game to form alliances with. As for the demo, there are two versions that users can go for.
The newer demo allows users to play the first three chapters and also offers progress carryover to the main game.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink is an action-RPG set in a world known as Sky Realm. It places the protagonist as The Captain of a crew that consists of a small dragon named Vyrn, a young girl named Lyria, and a set of other characters crucial to the story.
The gamefeatures a real-time combat systemconsisting of a four-character party. Because of its particular focus on diversity, every character in the game has their own distinct personality, skills and fighting-style.
The Granblue Fantasy: Relink demo offers three different game modes: tutorial mode, quest mode, and story mode. Each mode provides a distinct experience, but the progress made in the demo cannot be carried over to the main game.
Square Enix’s Valkyrie Profile series is one of the most notable franchises in JRPGs, known for its distinctive portrayal of Norse mythology. The entire series, particularly Valkyrie Elysium, is renowned for its breathtaking and otherworldly graphics. Unlike many other JRPGs, Valkyrie Elysium (and the previous games) features a somber color palette that sets it apart from thetypically vibrant visuals of the genre.
Valkyrie Elysium also distinguishes itself from other games in the series by moving away from a turn-based battle system and adopting a more traditional action combat one. The game features a Valkyrie named Maria and her warriors as they journey through Midgard, looking for souls to purify.
The demo version of the game allows players to experience the first chapter and transfer their progress to the full game.
Square Enix has undoubtedly released plenty of really good games with equally good demos. However, to not have a Final Fantasy game on a JRPG list would be an absolute abomination. The Final Fantasy franchise, one of the most critically acclaimed JRPG series, doesn’t even have to be mentioned to be recognized as a staple and representative of the genre.
Final Fantasy 16, released in 2023, was an instant commercial hit — and for good reason. It’s a full-fledged action RPG with some of the best graphics, gameplay, andstoryline in the current JRPG scene.
The game revolves around protagonist Clive Rosfield who, along with his brother and a group of companions, has to get to the bottom of the conflict that led to the destruction of his kingdom. Clive, the first-born son of the Grand Duchy of Rosaria, was not chosen to rule due to his apparent lack of powers bestowed by the Eikons (a role that went to his brother instead).
However, because of the increasing disturbances around their continent, with wars rampant, Clive now has to make some decisions.
The demo of FF16 gives access to the first part of the entire story, with the option of having the progress carried over to the full game. Completing the demo content gives you access to an unlimited ‘Eikonic Challenge’ mode that essentially lets you test the gameplay and physics of the game.
