The Final Fantasy series has been synonymous with the Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) for years. The Final Fantasy franchise is naive, but it offers a wide range of experiences that it is just no wonder why its often considered a good gateway into the genre, it is quite impressive. Where does this gate go? Well, that’s what we got to talk about today.

There are almost 100 Final Fantasy games (includes spin-offs), so it’s not always easy to say that you like Final Fantasy, but it’s not always easy to say that if you enjoy it. While there are many other exceptions to the JRPG, there are still some character traits in that franchise. There are also certain JRPGs that have many certain attributes found in select Final Fantasy titles. Let’s take a look at fifteen titles and series that show you why final is only the beginning.

Dragon Quest Series.

The company developed Final Fantasy to stave off the bankruptcy process long before Squaresoft became Square Enix. Either the game would succeed and save the company or it wouldn’t. Pears gambit would eventually defeat an established RPG rival.

However, nearly a year before Square introduced Final Fantasy, Enix released a different sword-and-sorcery turn-based RPG called Dragon Quest. The game allowed the RPG genre into the home console market, especially in Japan, and solidified standard JRPG rules as well as turn-based battles. While Final Fantasy is generally one of the most effective RPGs in the world, Dragon Quest dominates Japan. What better do you expect from the famous game Akira Toriyama?

While Final Fantasy has experimented with many different combat systems and mechanics, Dragon Quest embraces an easy if aint broke approach. For example, the series has retained the same turn-based battles throughout its entire franchise. This isn’t an annoyance, so the ease of the series combat has always made it more enjoyable. In spite of this, the true star of the Dragon Quest is the epic series, a high-flavoured character and a lot of music.

Dragon Quest is currently 11 mainline entries, of which only some are available on modern platforms. You have plenty of options if you want to play Dragon Quest 11 but if you want to play Dragon Quest 7 you must break out both a PlayStation 2 or Nintendo 3DS. If you are looking for some best Dragon Quest games, we will take care of your needs.

Tales: The Tales series.

Most traditional JRPGs are turn-based adventures that force players to wait before they act, but the Tales series is one of the classic JRPG franchises that allows the action to unfold in a wonderful display of chaotic pixels and particle effects. If you add in an anime aesthetic, and you have a formula for a memorable series that will continue to grow until now.

The Tales series is bandai Namco’s signature JRPG. Like Final Fantasy, each game stars a unique audience of characters who work hard to prevent their worlds from the evil of the hour. Plots are almost always memorable, partly because of the good of their character, that are overflowing with personality. That even villains shine in most novels of Tales. Sure, most of them are unrepentant monsters who deserve a sword to the face, but at least you can sometimes sympathize with them.

Tales play the majority of the time. The series combat blueprint has evolved with time, with the addition of characters, which is ideal for bringing together the characters. Although earlier Tales entries are sadly difficult to play, the latest titles are readily available on most consoles. Do you really know when Bandai Namco will surprise audiences with a port or a remaster? If it happened to the stories of Symphonia and Vesperia, then it might happen to the stories of Xillia.

The Bravely Default Series is a standard set of defaults.

Two decades ago, Square Enix began learning the new Final Fantasy formula and never stopped discovering new ways to improve the design of that series. Many gamers have asked Square to bring Final Fantasy back to its turn-based roots with few success or recognition. However, as a compromise, Square Enix has published other franchises filling the niche.

Even though Square Enix didn’t make Bravely Default (Silicon Studio did), the game is back to modern JRPG in all major forms. Having said that, the games feature several innovations to the genre formula. Even though players still choose their attacks a single turn at a time, there is also a chance that you can use battle points to take other actions in a turn. The more points a character burns, the more progressed turns that they skip. Unlike these, they can stockpile more points to protect themselves. That brilliant system forces you to determine when its best to use points and when you should hoard them.

Although Bravely Defaults is the main weapon of war, its story isn’t so great. Sure, the story relies on many new releases such as Final Fantasy popularization (if not invention), but also in certain plot twists that address certain tired cliches.

Predictively, Bravely Default received two sequels in the form of Second Second: End and Second Second. These games rarely reach the heights of Bravely default, but they still work a decent JRPG. Moreover, Bravely Default 2 is currently the easiest to acquire since it’s available on the Nintendo Switch, while its predecessors remain Nintendo 3DS exclusives.

The ISM series is one of many of us.

Most JRPG franchises are in essence anthologies. Each entry puts a group of heroes in danger of saving the whole universe from destruction. There’s a notable RPG franchise that takes advantage of those that you’ve never heard of until now.

The Ys is a long-running action-rPG that dates back to the NEC PC-8801. With only two exceptions, Nihon Falcom’s own entry was created and stars the red-haired adventurer Adol. Every game Ys takes Adol on a new adventure. Sometimes, he’s marooning an island and had to discover its mysteries before he could escape. Other games also see him as a means of protecting a city from spectral threats. Whatever the plot is, some of the best JRPG music you could ever find the most enjoyment in a year on which you can spend your time in a jiffy-like fashion while reading your diary.

Since Ys bridges multiple gaming generations, the franchise has been under an enormous number of modifications. The series began to turn the stage of an adventure title where you can only damage enemies by bumping into them, but as technology grew, Ys still seemed complex. In this series, the characters went on to develop a fast-paced dungeon-crawling model and a tsp, and lately, Ys games added a party party and 3D graphics.

Of course, some games like Ys are better than others. For example, many gamers consider S. VIII of DANA a high point of the series and a great starting point for newcomers. Unfortunately the entire franchise (minus one entry) is available on Steam and GOG. But you’ll be able to play the remakes of earlier titles on only the remake.

Yakuza: Like the dragon, how did you feel?

The series has long been a sock-like feature for the games of the Yakuza franchise, although it has a big impact on the playbox and now does the game. However, Like a Dragon turned off the Yakuza franchise.

While other franchise entries are still used to games such as Like a Dragon, battles play out in JRPG fashion. Characters turn the enemies crazy (and vice versa) through elaborate moves that showcase Yakuza’s signature flair. Moreover, the true meaning of the battle is alive via QTE and action d’intervention modes. What is this kind of emotional and serious crime drama sprinkled with a beautiful, over-the-top comedy we expect from such a great Yakuza story.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a giant toy in this franchise, as its sequels will have its turn-based nature. If you enjoy this game, you want to check what comes next.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel: The Legend of Heroes, the series of Trails of Cold Steel.

Nihon Falcom likes to develop RPGs whose logic is enlightened by continuity. That company is not only responsible for the Ys series, it also created The Legend of Heroes.

The entire franchise (starting at the sixth entry) is split into arcs, a system that follows characters who populate different nations in the same time. That arc Western audiences play at the latest time is the arc Trails of Cold Steel.

The four Legends of Heroes: Roads of Cold Steel is a biography of Rean Schwarzer, a young man that was once a teacher at Thors Military Academy. As games progresses, players discover more about the game country, the Erebonian Empire and the characters. The battle system on the Trail of Cold Steel doesn’t do much to prevent everyone from using the RPG, but it’s polished. Fighting occurs in arenas where placement and distance determine who can hit what and whether an attack one can strike multiple enemies. Players have plenty of skills to work with. You can especially link characters with you to trigger follow-up attacks.

The Legend of Heroies: The Trails of Cold Steel focuses on storytelling and combat. The only problem is that to bring full-screen video, players are forced to play 4 games long. That’s a blessing to a lot of RPG aficionados.

The last remorse: the Last one, the second.

Since Squaresoft had success in Final Fantasy XI, the company asked for the results to happen in a single-player setting. The answer is to Final Fantasy in the 1. The company finally got back to basics with Final Fantasy XIII, but what would have happened if Square continued to follow the path which was created by Final Fantasy XIII? It’s certainly the best answer to this question.

The Last Remnant was originally released for Xbox 360 and PC and tells the story of Rush Sykes: a young man who wanted to rescue his sister from a kidnapping. As is typical of the JRPG, nearby generals agree to help Rush, but that makes him into a war that won’t always define the fate of the world. The story takes a little time to start, but it will get more and more interesting.

The Remnants’ claim to fame is their new battle system. Instead of dividing characters, you allow large groups of soldiers to end up in battle and give commands generalized. While this system seems to take some control while in combat, it gives up more options for the game and preparing before skirmishes. Victory is by the means of luck and strategy.

If you want to play The Last Remnant, then you should turn to The Last Remnant Remastered, which is capable of better graphics and performance. It is free on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4. If you wish to play the original versionwell, chances are you got it on Steam years ago because The Last Remnant was delisted and the Xbox 360 version has plenty to be desired.

The Xenoblade Chronicles Series is in the collection.

Monolith is most famous for the Xenosaga series, which is a spiritual successor to Squaresoft’s Xenogears (that a game director, Tetsuya Takahashi, would go on to find Monolith Soft). After the ending of the Xenosagaerrsaga, the company had an euphoric success: the Xenoblade Chronicles franchise.

The Xenoblade Games are a collection of action RPGs that have a description and combat mechanic but have non-related elements, or are they? The series began with the original Xenoblade Chronicles for the Wii. That saw two worlds which were based on the body of dead giants, and they were at war with each other. The story begins with simplicity, but as time goes on, new plot threads and twists are introduced, that are a deep dive into the real nature of the world.

Each entry into the franchise Xenoblade is relatively unconnected, so they’re all free to talk about their own stories without worrying about long-term continuity. It will help you to get ahead of the action. Besides the fact that they play the same thing, each title of Xenoblade has unique mechanics. These additions give gamers more experience while playing the same game but four times more.

Originally, Xenoblade Chronicles became available on the Wii and Nintendo 3DS, but thanks to a remaster, it came to the Chronicles 2 and 3 console. Unfortunately, this does not get the Xenoblade Chronicles X into the odd game because it is still stuck on the Wii U. Fingers crossed that it receives a Switch in the near future as well.

Lost Odyssey

Naturally, most gamers are familiar with JRPGs with Japanese games consoles. Those Western platforms like the Xbox brand have never fared out of the sky. Unlike any other game, some of the best Xbox 360-like RPGs you’ll find to be the exclusive genre.

Lost Odyssey is the second AAA title developed by Mistwalker: that studio is inspired by Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, who started his own company after failing to engage with Squaresoft. It revolves around a group of immortals who lived ten thousand years ago but lost all their memories. The story focuses on their quest for the past while a technological revolution and war rage rumble in the background. That is an incredible setup, giving you an incredible piece of JRPG storytelling.

Combat in the Lost Odyssey is somewhat different from other RPGs with several exceptions notable. Every character has to play a light QTE segment to maximize damage. The game was finally developed for Xbox 360, but it’s essentially positioning. Players have to organize their party characters to make sure they are protected from more durable heroes.

While Lost Odyssey isn’t an iconic RPG, it does enough to stand out in the crowd and remain something of a lost genre gem.

A Chrono-Trigger (or Chrono-Zorren) is the Chrono-Changer.

Final Fantasy VI was the last game to be released by the Super Nintendo before it discovered the new home on the Sony PlayStation. After leaving Squaresoft, all the owners of SNES had a final hurrah.

Chrono Trigger is widely regarded as one of the best RPGs made by the world. The story revolves around a group of heroes traveling throughout the world so that a parasitic alien can ‘t destroy the planet. The narrative isn’t only a fucking experience full of memorable characters, but players can also be influenced by significant events.

The plot and characters of Chrono Triggers are extremely polished but its battle systems remain a real highlight. A seemingly standard JRPG combat system benefits from subtle, achievable strategies. Do you immediately attack enemies or wait them until they arrive close enough to hit them all at once? Do you force characters to attack individually? Or does it combine that resulting from another party? That system is very simple, with a ton of depth.

As for Chrono Triggers spiritual follow-up Chrono Crosswell, that game arose significantly more divisive, but as the more complicated characters, plots and combat make it a favorite among the genre fans looking for something a little different.

The Persona Series, Shin Megami Tensei V, or Soul Hackers 2.

Atlus, a subsidiary of SEGA, has a strong history of publishing and developing games. The company helped bring life with titles like Stella Glow, Deadly Tower of Monsters, Rock of Ages and Lost Dimension. Even though the company’s main claim to fame is to be Shin Megami Tensei.

The Shin Megami Tensei franchise was founded in 1987 as a mature crawler who revolved around allying with demons (a group that includes fae, gods and, ironically, angels). After the series began, it spiraled into a whole lot of spin-offs; mostly they focused on adult-oriented stories and the collecting of monster allies.

Although all RPGs under the Shin Megami Tensei umbrella merited playing, picking the right one for you isn’t easy. Want a brutally difficult RPG with a morality system and a unique battle mechanic that gives you more turns if you target enemy weaknesses? The vanilla tensei series has gotten very good, especially since the series SMT 3 and SMT 5 are readily available. Want a more classic RPG experience that rewards players who go for a Jack of all trades playstyle? Go with Soul Hackers. Have you been developing an RPG where players can select time-based according to their calendar system and date visual novel mechanics? The Persona spin-off series should suffice. Using a Shin Megami Tensei game, you can easily get beaten.

Anachronox

Despite the name, not all JRPG-style games hail from Japan. It is just that some western JRPGs can’t break out. Possibly, Anachronox.

Anachronox is a sci-fi, cyberpunk RPG developed by Deus Ex developer Ion Storm. The majority of the time, Anachronox seems to be like the typical JRPGs that it showed for itself. However, what separates this game from large competition is its world and story.

Anachronox follows the spy’s Sylvester Sly Boots Bucelli. He takes a task, that seems small but spirals into a plot that will decide the universe’s fate by itself. Sly Boots, whose journey is so well-written, amazingly said, and that’s a real charm. One of those members is an entire planet of people who voluntarily shrunk down so they could help Sly Boots. Nominate another video game, which doesn’t do that.

Unfortunately, that story is about a cliffhanger, never being followed. Although the game isn’t full or complex, it’s very well played. Plus Anachronox often goes on sale for less than a dollar on GOG and Steam, so the value is obviously there.

Tactics Ogre

If you enjoyed the Final Fantasy game in part because of the tactical Final Fantasy Tactics, then let me talk about a few of your favorite players.

At a time when the tactics are primarily released for the Super Famicom and eventually ported to the PlayStation, there is a tactics game called “Ogre” that combines a strategy, with a fought face with a grid-like battlefield. The system is relatively straightforward, but it’s also high-level and dependable. Enemies don’t hold their hats, and if players don’t be careful, they will lose many character to the permadeath system. This is hardly the only thing that can leave players in a bind if they aren’t careful.

In true JRPG-style, Tactics Ogre begins by a war and a mistaken identity, and from there, the story blossoms into a spin-off narrative where any choice affects the ending. Changing paths and games encourage players to play at full play.

Tactics Ogre was available only on several old consoles before 2022, but recently, Square Enix published Tactics Ogre Reborn: an updated remake with new graphics, voice-action, and upgraded game systems. The game is now available on the PlayStation 4 and the PlayStation 5 Switch and on the PC via Steam.

Septerra Core

If it is for entertainment than it ever goes, remember the time when Western companies tried to produce their own anime and manga (or at least anime and manga-inspired stories)? That way we got the show, Teen Titans and Avatar: The Last Airbender, and a hidden gem called Septerra Core.

At first glance, Septerra Core traces an interesting resemblance to popular PC titles of its time, such as Fallout and Diablo. Nevertheless, Septerra Cores genuine inspirations become popular all the time. The game is filmed in a world divided into layers, and each time they come together, they form a path through the world’s centre: a legendary supercomputer. The main villain is plotting to use it to gain godlike power, and issuing to their main character to stop him.

Septerra Core has a good reputation in its performance and characterization. The game is complete and fully explained. Finally, the game is made up of the Final Fantasy ATB system. Until a bar will fill can attack or use skills, but the bar is split into sections. The strength of the machine is determined by how much we use. Do you use an entire bar to knock out a single enemy or use each section to attack different opponents? These difficulties make Septerra Core stand out from the rest of the turn-based RPG crowd.

Though the majority of RPGs included in this list are available on multiple platforms, Septerra Core is PC-only. This game is very old. You can even run that on the most underpowered computer.

Battle Chasers: A League of Legends Story (for the Night War) or for the Ruined King (for the story of that legend).

Licensed RPGs really all that common, but Airship Syndicate demonstrates that you can turn existing properties into turn-based battle games.

The Battle-Channel: The Nightwar and the Lost King: The Legends story are at their core two sides of the coin. Both games draw from different existing properties (both Double, and League of Legends) and use their lore and art to build different worlds.

Since Ruined King is the essentially battle battler with a League of Legends paint job, both games play out the same. Both titles are dungeon-crawler RPGs with an emphasis on combat. Battles are a fast way of preventing treatment of human life. Ruined King adds to this system a lane mechanic that allows characters to trade attacks for faster turns and vice versa. Moreover, proper use of the system can also draw players to beat themselves by getting rid of their opponents by making or breaking games.

The Battle Hunter: Assassin of Nightwar and Ruined King: The League of Legends Story could look like reskins of one another, but it’s a problem for me to recycle such a polished experience.