Best long JRPG games worth playing twice

Sometimes getting through a game can feel like a marathon. Some players like to bounce around between games, which is a good playstyle, but it's harder to do with a long game. This is why many JRPG fans in particular like to focus on one experience and play it through to the end.

Scratching a game off the to-do list and removing it from the backlog can be a huge relief. However, some games are so good, even though they can be tough, that players will be forced to start over. The following JRPGs are good examples, and the reason they're worth replaying straight away differs between each title.

Persona 5 Royal

The ultimate long JRPG

Persona 5 Royaland the original version, is one of the longest JRPGs ever made, seemingly impossible to speed through. This is because players will have to go day by day with a fixed schedule that they cannot break away from. That said, this structure helps keep the pace high as players move from story segments to more interactive ones, from diving into dungeons to fighting turn-based battles.

At the end, players will feel like they have gone through a journey. However, players can start a new game+ option to transfer most of their data, including their social stats like lore or mag. If players didn't max them the first time, they can try again, and if they did, they can access content earlier and effectively change how certain things work.

NieR: Automata

Getting to the end

NieR: Automata is built around the idea of ​​players restarting their journey. The game begins with players controlling 2b, who is accompanied by his partner, 9s, in an action JRPG adventure that can feel like a full experience.

It's only about a third of the journey though, as players can restart right after as 9s to see a different perspective on the story. Finally, players can take control of A2, and all of this will lead to the true finale. Players could quit after 2b's campaign, but it would be unsatisfying because it wouldn't answer most of the game's questions.

Fire emblem: Three houses

Make your choice Byleth

Fire emblem: Three houses giving players a large selection early on. As the character Byleth, players will have to choose one of three factions to align themselves with during their military academy day. This includes the Leicester Alliance, the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, and the Adrestian Empire.

Aiding one nation will give players a different cast of playable characters to march into tactical battles with, and it will also change the story, as the other two nations will become political rivals. To get the full scope of the story, players could replay the other two factions, making for a long but satisfying tactical JRPG experience.

Final Fantasy 10-2

What can I do for you?

Final Fantasy 10-2 is a direct sequel to the original game and the very first main line Final Fantasy the game will feature a direct game sequel, changing the franchise forever. The game begins with Yuna receiving a mysterious video of what appears to be Tidus in prison, calling out for help. Fans of the original game know this scenario seems fishy, ​​as does Yuna, but she decides to investigate anyway, along with her cousin, Rikku, and newcomer Paine.

The game has a percentage meter that will increase the more players enter the game, including going after side content. It is impossible to complete the game 100% the first time as there are three factions that players can align themselves with on the journey. This includes the Youth League, the New Yevon Party, and the Machine Faction. To see what really happened to Tidus, players must 100% play the game, meaning they must replay it.

Scarlet Nexus

Future love

Scarlet Nexus gives players a choice right away if they want to start as Yuito or Kasane. The game is set in a post-apocalyptic future where hunters are trained to defend the last city on Earth from being taken over by mutant creatures called Others. Yuito and Kasane are part of the group of hunters and start out as allies, but soon after the game begins, their paths diverge, leaving one to effectively hunt the other.

Both characters get their own set of allies to accompany them on missions, and they can link attacks with allies in action combat. To get the full extent of the story, both campaigns must be completed, and the mystery is strong enough to urge players to do so.

Triangle strategy

The scales of justice

Triangle strategy is another tactical JRPG with branching paths. The game begins with the neutral territory, House Wolffort, being drawn into a war over salt. What makes this game different is that players do not choose one of the three nations, the Kingdom of Glenbrook, the Grand Duchy of Aesfrost, or the Holy State of Hyzante, to follow continuously.

Instead, there are times in the campaign where players must vote, and if they want to proceed a certain way, they must convince their allies to side with them. Replaying the game will help players see different sides of the war, but more than that, there are exclusive characters on each side. If players want to collect all party members in the game, they have to replay it.

Chrono Cross

Dimensional cracks

Chrono Cross is a PS1 classic turn-based JRPG that doesn't get as much acclaim as its predecessor, Chrono Triggeralthough it does some interesting things with the campaign. Instead of time travel, players can switch between two alternate dimensions to see how each world is different.

By performing tasks in a certain way, they can gain new party members. It's impossible to get them all in one playthrough, along with getting the right materials to get the true ending. Thankfully, there's New Game+ to let players try again, and funnily enough, Chrono Trigger is credited with perfecting how New Game+ works in games.

Front Mission 1st: Remake

See the other side

Front mission released for the SNES in 1995 in Japan and with only one campaign. It followed Royd Clive, who was part of the OCU, but when the game was remade for the PS1 in 2003, also only in Japan, a second campaign was added. Players could choose to play as OCU or USN, starring Kevin Greenfield.

The first time players got to enjoy the game was the 2007 DS version, and Front Mission 1st: Remake is a remake and the most accessible version yet as of 2022. Both campaigns are completely separate, allowing players to see how each side of the war plays out. Since this is a game about mechanics and two sides of a war that have defensible means, it is little like the original Gundam series, which also showed the good and bad of both sides of the war.