Important takeaways
- JRPGs and visual novels share long, dialogue-heavy stories with meandering plots and compelling characters.
- Games like Persona 3 Portable mix JRPG and visual novel elements to offer epic stories.
- The World Ends with You combines linear storytelling with stylish combat and exploration, making it engaging.
It's easy to tell straight away that JRPGs and visual novels are completely different genres that can be distinguished at a glance. The truth is that most JRPGs have a linear, dialogue-heavy story that can go on for a long time, something visual novel fans are familiar with. These stories are long, full of compelling characters, and revolve around many plot lines that can be head-turning at points. However, gamers who love such epic stories will find the JRPG genre full of gameplay through and through.
Fans of visual novels may find JRPGs quite intimidating to get into, so games that combine both genres serve as an easy starting point for these games. Fortunately, several Japanese RPGs fit the bill here, allowing players to enjoy a long story with multiple twists and turns that keeps players on the train for quite some time before the game finally picks up.
1 Persona 3 Portable
The Free Roam sections have been changed to feel more like a visual novel
With the launch of Persona 3 on the PlayStation Portable, Atlus had to cut some corners to fit this entire game on a console weaker than the PS2. The result is Persona 3 Portablea game that is incredibly long and can have its slow moments as players rise to the top of Tartarus. Removing the free-moving parts of the game and turning it into a kind of visual novel where players explore the map by moving an icon around is a simple and innovative way to work around the PSP's hardware limitations.
The best part is that none of the game's complex combat features are lost in this port. In fact, players who want a more challenging experience can play this game with a female protagonist, which is the only time in the series that Atlus has experimented with such a concept. New social links, story events, and romance partners can be unlocked if players choose to play as FeMC, and it's a shame that Persona 3 Reload did not take back this very welcome addition to Portable in the remake.
2 Sakura War
A combination of a dating sim, visual novel, and action JRPG
When people think of JRPG visual novel hybrids, it's the first thing that comes to many gamers' minds Sakura War. The 2019 game is a great entry point to the series, where players can enjoy a fun action-packed video game with heartwarming bonding moments and dating sim elements where players have to love their teammates and choose a romantic interest for the long haul.
The switch to an action-based combat system worked well too Sakura Warand players who might find the setting a little too weird for their tastes should bite the bullet and give this game a shot. The plot progresses like a slow-paced visual novel, allowing players to get to know the protagonists before the story begins to plod along, with the episodic format giving each part of the story a much-needed breather as players tackle demons in the 1940s while uncovering a much greater controversy at the heart of things.
3 The world ends with you
The story is a linear slow burn interspersed with combat and exploration
One of the most stylish and engaging JRPG players can get their hands on, The world ends with you was one of the most innovative games ever released on the Nintendo DS. It made the most of the dual screens to integrate a hectic combat system where players controlled two characters at once to take out monsters and tough enemies. At the heart of this story is Neku, an amnesiac teenager who is forced to participate in a deadly Reapers' Game where he must complete daily tasks or die.
The central mystery of this story is an engrossing one that slowly unfolds with long plot sequences that involve lots of reading. This is interspersed with exploration and combat that showcases plenty of style, with players having to follow Shibuya's various fashion trends to improve their effectiveness in battle. The plot is one of the best things TWEWY that players will love reading through, fighting tough enemies until a plot twist comes along that resolves this story and makes its final stage a blast to get through.
4 Utawarerumono: Mask Of Truth
A game that combines tactical RPG gameplay with visual novel elements
A long tactical JRPG with visual novel gameplay that is as addictive as they come, Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth is an easy recommendation for fans of this hybrid genre. The game serves as the finale of a trilogy that fans should ideally play first before diving into this story-heavy title.
The tactical combat is serviceable and gets the job done, but it's the character development and overall narrative that does Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth one of the best visual novel-JRPG hybrids that gamers can get their hands on. Considering how the previous game ended on a cliffhanger, the revelations in this final title are a joy to uncover and make for a rewarding conclusion to a trilogy that deserves far more love than it's getting.
5 Odin Sphere Leifthrasir
A side-scrolling action RPG with an interesting story that flows much like a visual novel
A side-scrolling action JRPG that received an updated version to improve the gameplay, Odin Sphere Leifthrasir is one of the most underrated games in this genre that more players need to check out. The high fantasy setting and a story revolving around five characters create an epic story set on the continent of Erion, with the plot being quite text-heavy and giving off a lot of visual novel vibes from the moment the story becomes a major focus.
The war between Ragnanival and Ringford revolves around the Crystallization Cauldron and how it directly feeds into the end of the world via Armageddon. It's an epic story that unfolds over seven books, with only five appearing from the start before the other two rear their heads in a unique narrative structure that makes this game feel like a visual novel in the best possible way.
