Some players want huge worlds to explore for hundreds of hours. One of the most acclaimed that has been around for over a decade now is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. With a stunning world, visceral combat and an engaging story, players couldn't resist. On the JRPG end, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth gave players another great option to explore and another great remake i Final Fantasy series.
10 linear games that quietly give players total control
Open world projects aren't the only ones with player choice and freedom, as these linear games show.
Not all RPG or JRPG fans are interested in exploring every nook and cranny of a game, even if they want just as much play time. There are more linear experiences out there, both short and long, that fans will love if they haven't played or even seen these games already.
Scarlet Nexus
The future is now
Scarlet Nexus gives players a choice between two protagonists at the beginning, Yuito or Kasane, who start out the same, but their paths quickly diverge. Each character has different party members join them on missions, and the main characters are the only playable characters, with the others as support.
There isn't much in the way of side activities other than bonding with party members between missions and discovering things off the beaten path. As linear as it is, the action is the best part of the game, which is easy enough to get the hang of and look cool doing it.
Indivisible
A Metroidvania RPG
Indivisible is a turn-based RPG tucked into a 2D Metroidvania. In dungeons, players will run around typical interconnected mazes as they move between different regions of the world. Weak monsters can be killed with melee attacks, while stronger monsters will initiate combat when hit.
All four party members will be mapped to a face button, and players can freely summon them all at random, or try to be more strategic and build combos. With beautiful hand-drawn animations, this is truly one of the best-looking RPGs and Metroidvanias in recent history.
Undertale
Monster Mash
Undertale is short, very linear, but also one of the most unique and memorable RPGs on the list, let alone of all time. Players can choose to attack monsters or talk their way out of combat, and by sparing monsters they can go through a pacifist path.
Doing so will open up more random monsters and big bosses, giving players insight into their problems. Being a pacifist is more challenging than fighting, oddly enough, as dodging attacks, especially from bosses, is akin to a bullet hell shooter. It's all worth it in the end, thanks to the comedic writing and energetic music.
Final Fantasy 13
Funneled Fantasy
Final Fantasy 13 is the most linear entry in the main line Final Fantasy game. Players will not be able to change jobs, party members, or do any side activities until much later in the game. For fans used to the openness of previous entries, this was a disaster, but for fans of linear games, it was a blessing.
10 RPG games that let you play at your own pace
Go slow or fast, beeline for the next mission or take a moment to explore: these RPGs encourage you to play as fast as you want.
Splitting the party into different areas and quests helped players get to know characters in smaller pairs better, which is what Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth did it too, and you were inspired by that Final Fantasy 13. While not perfect, the graphics, music, and battle system are all top-notch, plus the last quarter of the game opens up with quite a few distractions if players want.
Parasite Eve
To solve the case
Parasite Eve set in New York City, follows a detective's investigation into the paranormal. Melting humans, mutating rats, sewer hunts and more await players in this horror-themed RPG.
In combat, players can freely run around and avoid attacks, and on their turn they can pause the game, aim their weapon or psychic power, and blast away. The increased sense of reality, small location list and the combat system do it all Parasite Eve one of Square's best games on the PS1, and while there aren't many side activities in the first place, the New Game+ mode adds an extra long side dungeon.
The world ends with you
Week after week
The world ends with you takes place within a city as well, except it's Shibuya in Japan. Neku, a recently deceased teenager, wakes up in a side dimension to the real Shibuya. Although everything looks the same, he can only interact with characters who are also in this plane of existence.
The goal is to win a series of battle challenges to be crowned the winner of this game, thus gaining a wish such as the ability to revive. The battle system is unique as touch controls work for Neku on the lower screen, while his rotating partners can be controlled with face buttons on the upper screen. Gamers can get a screen remaster on Switch to make things easier, which is also the easiest to find and play today. Other than grinding for EXP, the game runs through a day-by-day structure, so there isn't much side activity to do.
Live A Live
An episodic RPG
Live A Live allows players to choose seven different characters that have self-contained stories throughout time. Some episodes are strictly linear, like Sundown Kid in the Wild West, while others allow players to explore more freely, like Pogo from the prehistoric era. When all the episodes are finished, more will open up, and it's a bit of a spoiler to say how.
Anyway, this remaster of Live A Livewhich only started in Japan on the SNES, is a good anthology example of a turn-based RPG with tactical grids. It's not the biggest cohesive story, even when things come together, but the experimental nature is worth it, along with the HD-2D graphics.
Castlevania: Dawn Of Sorrow
Follows the 2D path
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow is a continuation of Castlevania: Aria of Sorrowwhich followed Soma Cruz, a vampire hunter, in the future. Future or not, Dracula and his castle still exist, so the fight continues even without the full support of the Belmont clan. Like the first game, Soma can fight enemies, level up, and pick up or buy equipment from shops.
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Loot isn't everything in these RPGs that put a lot of emphasis on your class, skills, and other abilities.
Additionally, players have a chance to learn abilities from monsters, both active and passive, making the collection of souls almost a Pokémon game. The 2D Metroidvania design means there will be a lot of backtracking and some side exploration, but it's minimal in the long run.
Fire Emblem: Path Of Radiance
Back to basics
In contrast to newer releases in the Fire emblem series, sort of Fire emblem: Three houseswhich has side content, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance follows the old school path. Players will move from one tactical battle to another, with permadeath turned on at all times, meaning players will have to pay more attention than usual during battles.
Once an ally is dead, that's it unless the players reload. It's certainly a more challenging tactical game, but anyone curious can now check it out on Switch 2 thanks to the latest GameCube case.
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance
Not as open as BG3
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance is strictly a more focused action game for dungeon diving, like Diablo but on a smaller scale. Players can choose their character and class between an Archer, Fighter or Sorceress. They can follow the campaign alone by entering various dungeons, or they can speed up hack-and-slash and loot-based games with friends.
Everyone who jumped in Baldur's Gate 3 and was too intimidated by the branching paths and long campaign will feel more at ease with this former spinoff, which has a remaster now on most systems.
10 Hardest RPGs by Square Enix, Ranked
With tons of RPG games under their belt, it's no surprise that Square Enix has made a lot of very challenging titles, even on standard difficulty.
