Best JRPGs that break traditional genre conventions

Important takeaways

  • Star Ocean The Second Story R defies fantasy conventions with a sci-fi twist and offers 99 endings.
  • Radiant Historia breaks JRPG linearity with divergent timelines in Perfect Chronology.
  • Triangle Strategy presents a political narrative with deep moral choices and human characters.



JRPGs have set the standard for video game storytelling and mechanics for years. The deep lore of these titles, strong character work, and unique gameplay loops have made JRPGs one of the top genres for gamers worldwide, but with such a strong library of titles, it's only natural that certain conventions and tropes start to emerge.

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So how does a JRPG break conventions? Which rules should be followed and which should be broken? Should a story change the classic high fantasy setting, or should the turn-based combat that helped define the genre in the 80s and 90s get a makeover? These games in particular have broken away from traditional JRPG conventions to great effect.


5 Star Ocean The Second Story R

Defying fantasy conventions with Sci-Fi flare


Released
November 2, 2023

Developer
Gemdrops, Inc.

One of the many Square Enix games that break away from pure fantasy to throw in a healthy dose of sci-fi, Star Ocean The Second Story R is an amazing turn-based game that players won't want to miss, especially if they love to influence the story through their choices. Right from the start, by choosing one of the two protagonists to guide through the story, players set a path to one of 99 endings, further influenced by how they interact with the many companions available to them.

This game manages to bask in everything fans love about the classic high fantasy setting while defying many aesthetic tropes. The presence of high-tech, futuristic technology sets the scene for Second story R as a single planet in an epic of galactic proportions. It's a great way to show how the framing of an environment is crucial to where it stands in the genre.


4 Brilliant History

Gets rid of JRPG linearity in a fascinating way

Radiant History: Perfect Chronology

System

super grayscale 8-bit logo

Released
February 13, 2018

Many JRPGs are known for their strong, but linear stories. This is already a convention that has been broken by a few titles, but as a general rule, especially in older games, the agency a player has in the world of many JRPGs is limited to things like party composition and perhaps what side quests to complete, as opposed to influence how the story turns out.

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Brilliant Historymore specifically Perfect chronology remaster on 3DS, is a perfect example of a game that defies the linear narrative in an interesting way. Stocke must use the White Chronicle to explore two divergent timelines that differ from his own choices, jumping between the two to find answers to problems that only exist in one timeline, and saving both in the process.


3 Triangle strategy

An epic tale of politics without a big villain

System

super grayscale 8-bit logo PC-1

Not the most famous of Square Enix's titles but certainly an underrated success with an incredible morale mechanic, Triangle strategy features an incredible branching story that takes players in directions across the continent of Norzelia. In a genre frankly filled with evil wizards and tyrannical dark knights with comically oversized horns on their helmets, Triangle strategy breaks away from this with a surprising level of political realism and genuine human characters while giving players a twisted, brutal story to enjoy.


Balancing the three major beliefs and having a story determined by the companions as much as the player is already an innovative enough departure from the JRPG mold, but adding to this is an incredibly engaging story that shows characters changing, growing and even recognize when something is too challenging or not worth the risk to engage in.

2 The Resonance of Fate

An incredible battle system and a new environment

The Resonance of Fate

Released
January 28, 2010

Developer
Three Aces

The Resonance of Fate stands as one of the most beloved JRPGs to date, hailed for its dazzling combat system that breaks JRPG norms in several ways. This “tri-Attack Battle System” allows players to move freely during their turn in battle, limited by their action points. They can then attack an opponent at advantageous angles while being able to charge up an attack not just once, but multiple times over.


The setting for this game takes a gritty, future dystopia and mixes it with an iconic steampunk style, making for an incredibly fresh aesthetic and one of the best post-apocalyptic JRPGs players can get their hands on today.

1 Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance

Battle is only an option in SMT

Shin Megami Tenseione of Atlus' flagship series, has constantly broken down the barriers of what JRPG combat should be, but Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance gets a mention here for being an incredibly polished title, worthy of carrying this series' legacy to the Switch. Complicated stories aren't necessarily groundbreaking in this genre, though SMTs discussion of law and chaos as opposed to good and evil is always a wonderful subversion of the more binary narratives JRPGs can have.


Demons in almost all non-boss battle encounters can be talked to instead of being fought SMT. IN Revengeplayers will want to talk to demons to try to recruit them to their party through sweet talk, bribes, or threats. However, they can also push them onto objects, scare them from combat, or trade for their essence, depending on which complementary skills have been taken.

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