If You’re Getting Into JRPGs, Avoid These Games

JRPGs can be some of the hardest games to get into for those new to the genre or to games in general. JRPGs come in a wide variety, from turn-based to action to tactical. Tactical or turn-based games are probably the best way for newbies to dip their toes into the genre since players can take their time in battle.

Final Fantasy 3’s remake version on Steam, or the Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake, is a good example. They both have class systems and little stories to overcomplicate things. These other JRPGs, while they are some of the best today, have overcomplicated controls, lore, or are just plain hard.

8

Elden Ring

The Stand In For All Soulslikes

Elden Ring will represent all Souslikes, as this list would be filled with them otherwise. It’s at the top of the pile in terms of the genre with great lore drops, tons of weapons to collect, and an open-world environment to explore.

However, it’s also brutally difficult with no options to turn things down, which is true for most entries in the genre as well. Even if beginners were to jump in with friends in co-op, it wouldn’t be worth recommending because they would still need skills to survive.

7

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Raising Your Army

Fire Emblem: Three Houses was intense even for longtime fans of the Fire Emblem series. Choices had existed before, but not on the scale of three different campaigns, each with a dozen playable characters. In between battles, players could catch up with their party, which helped them connect better with the characters.

With so many characters, it got to be a bit much with the dialogue. The tactical battles could be toned down with the difficulty, but it really is the abundance of choice and character interaction that can make beginners freeze up, which is why it isn’t recommended.

6

Final Fantasy 7 Remake

Not THE One To Start With

Non-RPG fans have probably heard of Final Fantasy 7, and that it is thought to be the best one by many fans. This, in turn, could make Final Fantasy 7 Remake look like a good place to start, as remakes are great modern introductions to classic games.

That’s not the case here, though, because it is only part one in a trilogy that isn’t even fully out yet. That’s a big commitment to make, plus, as great as the action and story are in the remake, it’s only a small, closed-off chunk of the story that doesn’t best represent the game overall.

5

Kingdom Hearts

It Only Gets Weirder From Here

Kingdom Hearts is a crossover between Final Fantasy characters like Cloud from Final Fantasy 7 and Disney animated classics like Aladdin. For fans of both, this was a great action RPG on the PS2 featuring an original set of characters, too, like Sora, Kairi, and Riku. There are difficulty options, but the first game can still be challenging with the platforming segments and camera angles.

These things got better with sequels, but they’re not worth recommending either because the lore, starting in the second game, gets wildly hard to follow, and they’re all one continuous story. Players need to play a few easier action RPGs and maybe some Final Fantasy games first before taking the plunge into Heartless territory.

4

The Legend Of Legacy: HD Remastered

The Saga Continues

The Legend of Legacy was a 3DS spiritual successor to the SaGa series from Square Enix. It can be fully enjoyed on more platforms now, thanks to The Legend Of Legacy HD Remastered. On one hand, it’s a great starter RPG that puts gameplay first and story second with a wonderfully bright and colorful world to explore.

However, leveling up is non-traditional like the SaGa games, wherein stats and abilities are increased or learned randomly in the turn-based battles. It can be a lot to keep track of.

3

Octopath Traveler

No Sharing Allowed

Octopath Traveler was released as a throwback to SNES RPGs with a new visual style, Square Enix called HD-2D. Players could start as one character and then meet the other seven as they explored the world and fought in simple but fun turn-based battles. Every character’s story was individual, meaning there wasn’t much interaction between the party, which was a bummer for some.

Also, characters not in the party didn’t level up, which led to more grinding than most modern RPGs when it was released. So, Octopath Traveler does have issues that a beginner would be perplexed by, but overall, it is a good JRPG, albeit with some nitpicky caveats.

2

Persona 5

This Game Is How Long?!

Persona 5 is an incredible time investment that can last well over 80-100 hours. It’s not too challenging if players bring down the difficulty, but that’s a lot of time to spend with one JRPG that is also linear. This linearity works in Persona 5’s favor, though, as players can get a great look at Japanese school life and bond with their party members more than any other JRPG.

The Persona series is unique in this way, but it’s still not a great place to start for anyone coming in to experience a great big adventure.

1

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition

Massive Beasts, Massive Heartaches

Xenoblade Chronicles X was a Wii U title that was overlooked due to the system’s unpopularity, but now it has been re-released as Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition. It was challenging back on the Wii U, and it remains brutal on the Switch thanks to the open-world structure. While traveling to quest markers, giant monsters far outside of a player’s potential will constantly trigger fights.

This can make exploring a hassle, even though death doesn’t force players to lose anything. The difficulty spikes are rough without guides, but this challenge is why some like it the most out of the Xenoblade series, plus the multiplayer is an interesting side activity.