5 JRPGs Just As Good Or Better Than Any Western RPG

Western RPGs can often overshadow JRPGs because Western RPGs appeal to a broader demographic. There are things about JRPGs that not all fans like, such as the anime-inspired character designs and over-the-top acting seen in some cases. Western RPGs are often more realistic, open, and dramatic, like Game of Thrones, which was, of course, very popular as a TV show.

Some top Western RPG gaming examples include The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, Baldur’s Gate 3, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Fallout: New Vegas, and the list goes on. Keeping those examples in mind, here are some JRPGs that are just as good and may have even been influenced by Japan in some way. They could even be better in many respects.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

A Three-Way Split

Fire Emblem: Three Houses offers players a complex choice at the beginning of the game where they can follow one of three nations: the Leicester Alliance, the Adrestian Empire, or the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. It was unprecedented for the Fire Emblem franchise at the time, which is one major reason why Three Houses became a favorite among Switch players. This choice would then dictate which House players would align with in the second act, following their military training, and what party members they could recruit. The story also goes in different directions, but it’s the characters that truly matter, as the entire cast is well-rounded on each side.

In between the grid-based tactical combat, players can return to home base and complete several side activities, including hanging out with teammates. Players can deepen their bonds with them, which can then lead to deeper combos in battle or even romance. This amount of choice gives players a deeper connection to the story, making it feel like their campaign is unique and special. The intense action of the difficult but rewarding tactical gameplay, the three different campaign choices, and the party bonding all make Fire Emblem: Three Houses a solid equivalent to choice-heavy Western RPGs like Baldur’s Gate 3 or even The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga

Bouncing Across The Beanbean Kingdom

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga is the start of the third RPG franchise starring Mario. The thing that makes these games unique is the inclusion of Luigi as a playable character. This first game focuses on an evil sorceress, Cackletta, who steals Princess Peach’s voice and then retreats to the Beanbean Kingdom. As always, Mario and Luigi are left to save the day, and it’s up to them and them alone. In combat, players control both characters with a dedicated button: A and B. Perfectly timed attacks can add more power to hits, while getting into a defensive stance can counter an enemy or negate damage.

This adds an extra layer to the turn-based combat, even more so than the standalone Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, or any of the Paper Mario games. Plus, the brothers can create devastating combo attacks in battle, which can also be used while exploring to get around. Using each other as helicopters or going underground to get into tight spaces are two examples of exploration. The original GBA version is the best one to play, and it is on the Switch’s free online library currently. The active turn-based system could be likened to Western RPGs like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 or Undertale, and may have even inspired them.

Parasite Eve

Horror Comes To NYC

There is no real shooter equivalent to Western RPGs like Destiny 2 or Borderlands 4 in terms of JRPGs, but there is one more realistic game that favors similar gun combat and is unique from all other games out there. Parasite Eve is a PS1 JRPG from Square, starring Detective Aya Brea going around New York City to solve a paranormal case. Upon witnessing an opera house go up in flames, along with audience members, Aya chases the supernatural being, Eve, who is melting people into goo and transforming animals and insects into mutated monsters, from rats to spiders.

In combat, players are free to run around and dodge attacks, and once a meter is filled, players can shoot their gun within a set range, or they can cast a psychic power like a Fireball. Players can tune up their weapons at the police station to a wild degree, from clip sizes to attack power, and Aya gets a good variety of guns to find throughout the relatively short campaign. Parasite Eve also serves as one of the best survival horror games ever made, and the only real problem with it is the lack of playable options available today. Since it does take place in a Western area, NYC, RPG fans may be more willing to try it out if it were only available.

Persona 5

Adults Are The Problem

Persona 5 is the latest game in the Persona series, but realistically, Persona 3, or Persona 4 are equally great and could stand tall against any Western RPG. Persona 5 is set in Japan, featuring Ren Amamiya, also known as Joker, a transfer student who has to live with a family friend after being involved in a civil dispute. Once there, Ren gets wrapped up in a plot involving accessing an alternate dimension via a phone app, wherein different parts of the city are being controlled by an adult who is suppressing the population subconsciously.

Essentially, Ren gathers a group called the Phantom Thieves to go inside the minds of these corrupt adults to help them change their ways via dungeon crawling and turn-based combat. It’s a complex story, but it’s well-paced since it is linear. Players will go through every single day of the week, completing school, work, and free activities that let them bond with their party members and other NPCs. As a linear game, Persona 5 surprisingly has a lot of choices that can help shape how Ren turns out and how he interacts with everyone he encounters. Also, as an 80 to 100-hour game, players can more easily grow to love the characters as if they knew them in real life, comparable to Baldur’s Gate 3 or The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Going Beyond Normal Limits

Xenoblade Chronicles 3, and the other three games in the series, are some of the most impressive open-world JRPGs on the market. This is the latest entry in the Xenoblade Chronicles franchise, which started on the Wii, and it features a war between two nations. The main parties from each of these nations later team up when they discover that the war is being controlled by an organization known as Moebius. With their combined strength, along with a new ability to transform into giant mech-like beings, the party sets forth to free the world from tyranny.

Players are free to explore an open world with very few restrictions, from deep forests to sandy deserts to warming beaches. It looks great for a Switch game, and the amount of things players can see or do could rival that of Western open-world juggernauts like The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. Combat is similar to an MMO, as characters will automatically attack monsters on command, but they can be issued orders as well. It may sound simple, but with the ability to chain combos together, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 can get quite complex. From the deep story to the intense combat to the lush open-world, it’s amazing that Xenoblade Chronicles 3 wasn’t developed in the West.