Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is not a traditional JRPG like it was made in France, but it is an honorable one. It's a great example of an RPG that can come out and dominate the conversation. A more traditional JRPG is Persona 5which is so universally popular that it can dwarf others around it. And that's part of the problem with success stories.
8 Forgotten JRPGs That Deserve Rediscovery
These more obscure JRPGs are in dire need of players rediscovering their charm.
Sometimes a game can dominate the conversation so much that it can make other games seemingly disappear. Bigger games releasing alongside the following examples may have influenced why they weren't noticed in the first place. There are other reasons to consider as well. Thankfully, they got other chances via remasters for JRPG fans to rediscover them. Although they may be technically old, they still hold up.
Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha Vs. The soulless army
Spirit Detectives
Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha Vs. the soulless army was released for the PS2 in 2006, which was late for the system as the PS3 also launched in 2006, which may be why it was mostly ignored. Beyond a port to PS3 digitally, the game remained untouched until 2025, when it was remastered. Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army launching simultaneously on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Switch 2 and Xbox Series X/S, which is always good to see when a game returns after a long hiatus. The more consoles a game hits, the bigger audience it can garner. Also, this is more of a remake than a remaster as the quality of life improvements and combat buffs are astounding, making this a must play game Shin Megami Tensei title.
Players are a spiritual detective, Raidou, who hunts demons in an alternate version of what appears to be 1930s Japan. During Fall, players can fight demons, befriend them, and even fuse them together to form new creations. It's a system that most Shin Megami Tensei fans should be familiar with, but what does it do Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army unique is that it has action based combat. Together with two other demons, Raidou can attack enemies with various weapons and spells, and while it is not Devil May Crycombat is vastly improved. With these improvements and new consoles, it can hopefully find a larger audience.
Ys: The Eden of Felghana
Zelda as an RPG
Ys 3: Wanderers from Ys was released in 1989 in Japan for their PC system. North American fans wouldn't get to play it until the TurboGrafx CD version in 1991, but the real masterpiece was the remake, Ys: The Eden of Felghana. It was first released in Japan in 2005 for PC, and the 2010 PSP version would be North America's first foray into the remake. Finally, it was improved once more in 2023 for Switch in Japan as Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghanaand as of 2025 it is now playable on Switch, PS4 and PS5 in North America. Aside from the many ports of the original game, only the remake has had quite a while to linger.
10 Old-School JRPGs That Are Perfect From Start To Finish
These old-school JRPGs represent the best the genre had to offer before the 2010s, with no quality drops during their playthrough.
Aside from the port history, if anyone wants to get into one Yuck game, Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana is the one. All entries follow one character, Adol Christin, and the games are episodic, often out of order and not very coherent. The game can sort of be described as a top-down, more action-heavy version of the older one Zelda game. Players can hack and slash enemies in the world or in dungeons, gain magic spells, buy equipment, and even get Metroidvania-like powers and items. With a low-key story and a quick gameplay, this will be an easy game to scratch off the list in a weekend.
Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings And The Lost Ocean
Card-based angels
Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean was released for the GameCube in 2004, which was a year after Japan. For a console that lacks JRPGs, that was a big deal for the GameCube, and fans of Monolith Soft and tri-Crescendo now would surely love to know that they were involved in the development of the game. It remained exclusive for several years until Baten Kaitos 1 & 2 HD Remaster was released for Switch in 2023, and then a year after for PC platforms in 2024. The second game in the collection, Baten Kaito's originwas a prequel, first released for the GameCube in 2006.
Unlike most JRPGs at the time, Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean took place in a series of floating islands with angelic humanoids as protagonists. Instead of normal turn-based combat, players also had to assemble decks and use cards to perform turns. While the card combat may have kept some JRPG fans from checking it out in 2004, it wasn't the most impossible system to learn. Now that deck building games are more common, card fans may be curious to know that there are other games out there from the past just waiting to be discovered.
The legend of inheritance
Mechanically gifted
The legend of inheritance
- Released
-
22 January 2015
The legend of inheritance was released for 3DS in 2015, followed by a remaster, The Legend of Legacy HD Remastered2024, which reached PC, PS4, PS5 and Switch. Aside from graphical improvements, it wasn't a huge improvement as the game already had a distinctly colorful art style on the 3DS. Originally intended to be a spiritual successor to Fairy tale series, which features one of the more unique turn-based combat systems in all of JRPG history. Before getting to that, players should know that they had a choice between several characters at the beginning of the game. Who they chose didn't matter much beyond class alignments, as the story was the same no matter what, as it was pretty easy.
The 10 Most Timeless Classic JRPGs, Ranked
From the SNES to the 3DS, these JRPGs remain timeless in quality and have earned their place as genre classics.
The important thing was the combat and the dungeons, which would expand over time. Instead of traditional EXP, characters would increase their stats after battle depending on how they performed. Getting hit can increase HP, while melee attacks can increase power. Additionally, if players used abilities, there was a chance they would unlock new techniques through experimentation. It was all one big roll of the dice, which is why Fairy tale the series remains so niche. Even with the remaster, The legend of inheritance might not get too much newfound praise, but it should. For anyone who loves a good experimental battle system, this is the JRPG to check out.
Bravely Default: Flying Fairy
An amazing JRPG returns for a new release
Bravely Default: Flying Fairy has a confusing history, as this was the name given to the original Japanese version of the 3DS in 2012. It was then improved in Japan as Bravely Default: For The Sequel 2013, and when it was finally released in North America a year later, it was just called Bravely Default: Flying Fairyeven though it was based on the second edition. Decades after that, it returned in 2025 as Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remasterwhich was one of the Switch 2's launch games. Story aside, this was an idea within Square Enix to experiment with old-school Final Fantasy battle and traditions as a spiritual successor, or perhaps more like a spiritual regressor.
Players could only command four heroes, who would gain classes, called Jobs, when fighting new bosses. Players can equip a job, like a black mage, but also use abilities like a monk. Beyond Jobs, what really set it apart was the Brave and Default system. When players wanted to defend, they could go to standard and get an extra turn which they could then use at their leisure. It added another layer of strategy to an otherwise traditional combat system. Between the colorful world, charismatic characters and the combat system using the class system, Bravely Default: Flying Fairy became one of the 3DS's best JRPGs, and it's still a gem now on the Switch 2, even with some of its story flaws in the latter half.
10 Underrated Nintendo Switch JRPGs That Deserve a Huge Comeback in 2025
These underrated Japanese RPGs deserve a comeback on the Nintendo Switch in 2025.
