Most video games, aside from the cutest and coziest of relaxing titles, use conflict to fuel the story. There's an obstacle, and here's how it must be overcome: Press A to jump, B to dash, and hit both to unleash an entire nation's military arsenal on your enemies.
But in the fantastic worlds of JRPGs, where story is paramount, large battles are often the driving force of the story, where players must choose sides or fight valiantly to stop an oppressive force. These JRPGs use large-scale battles to add high stakes and drama to their stories.
5 Tactics Ogre
A story of law and chaos, light and darkness
Tactics Ogre wastes no time in throwing the player into an epic continent-sized war. Before the tutorial battle even begins, players are told what's at stake – this small collective of villagers from a remote coastal town are upstart freedom fighters hoping to take down an imposing Dark Knight serving the warring nation of Golgostan, who won't stop until the the continent has come to heel. Of course, the story takes many turns from here, but throughout it all the trials of this war and how it changes the main character remain the focus of the story.
This tactical SRPG might just be Square Enix's opus in this genre, with a dense, complex yet compelling story for players to sink their teeth into, and a simple gameplay loop that broadens as more units become available and more techniques open up to the player. Assembling a collection of units that strategically control the enemies and the battlefield feels like playing an incredibly satisfying game of fantasy chess, one with dragons and elemental affinities.
4 DioField Chronicle
A unique fighting style meets a grand war story
DioField Chronicle has an incredible level of depth in how its battles work. The story takes place in an ever-expanding resource war with no true black or white sides, and the main characters are each given time to go through their own arc and grow as characters. Fighting against the Empire that wants to get hold of all the world's supply of Jade, which is used to cast spells, the Blue Fox mercenary band continues to fight on behalf of more and more nobles, slowly growing in acclaim as they try to make a name for themselves.
With an engaging spin on real-time strategy combat and an engaging story that never strays into the territory of giving the player a big, comically evil enemy to fight against, DioField Chronicle is a must for anyone who wants to take part in an epic battle across a continent.
3 Unicorn Overlord
A campaign of war against an evil tyrant
Unicorn Overlord features large-scale battles with great attention to detail in player and enemy unit classes. Players must form bands of up to six units that synergize well mechanically and narratively (as some characters can reach a level of camaraderie with each other) to wage the fight against a great tyrant who has conquered the entire continent, the dark lord Galerius of the Zenoiran Empire.
Unleashing bands of skilled fighters on the battlefield, harnessing their unique strengths and mastering the iconic combat system are all milestones in this incredible journey that Unicorn Overlord puts the player on – plus, for the romantically inclined, the main character can choose from a variety of marriage candidates based on who he has the strongest relationship with.
2 Valkyria Chronicles 4
A unique environment with an incredible story
Rather than being an expansive fantasy story or sci-fi epic that colors many JRPGs (but not all!), Valkyria Chronicles 4 sets a mid-20th century world into action and frames the story around a fictionalized continent where a reenactment of World War II takes place. Players will have to manage individual units in an incredibly intuitive skirmish-style combat system that will see protagonist Claude pit himself and his comrades in a furious battle against an Imperial force.
Definitely a game for those who like high stakes, high emotion stories and unit customization. Commanding tanks, lobbing grenades, and crouching in machine gun nests are new experiences for the average JRPG player, but this game showcases 20th century warfare with incredible polish.
1 Triangle strategy
This game focuses on the renewal of war
Triangle strategy has one of the best stories players can encounter in a JRPG, in no small part due to how the conflict that makes up the bulk of the story is framed. Three nations on one continent, each with a resource to fortify, fight or defend in a conflict built on growing ambitions and selfishness. Through it all, Serenoa, the protagonist, must have her beliefs tested and changed. Who will he be at the end of the war?
The Second Saltiron War is an incredible struggle, with no true heroes or villains, only ambitious rulers and those who have been wronged by them – and seek retribution. A stunning game framed in stunning HD-2D style, a must-have for anyone who wants to take part in – and change the outcome of – a continent-wide conflict.
