The Best JRPGs For Beginners

Highlights

• Turn-based JRPGs like older Final Fantasy games offer deep plots, captivating characters, and immersive soundtracks for players to enjoy.
• Riviera: The Promised Land and Chrono Trigger are perfect entry points for newcomers to the genre, offering a blend of strategy and storytelling.
• Yakuza: Like A Dragon introduces players to turn-based RPGs with a unique transition from the traditional Yakuza series, appealing to fans and new players alike.

The JRPG genre varies in terms of the types of combat and mechanics they feature. Turn-based JRPGs are among the most well-known as they include games from the Final Fantasy series among other big franchises.

More action-centric JRPGs can be just as good (and arguably that much more approachable), but both sides serve up some beginner-friendly goodness. The games on this list offer the best introductions to the genre for newcomers.

Updated April 28, 2024 by Quinton O’Connor: There was a time, say, 15 or so years ago (and counting), when it seemed like JRPGs might be on their way out of style in the Western world. That time is blissfully far behind us; there are plenty of great new titles every year. Looking back across the decades of JRPG goodness, we’ve updated this list with even more of our favorite entry points.

1 Riviera: The Promised Land

Riviera: The Promised Land is an enchanting JRPG adventure that beckons you into a captivating world. Follow protagonist Ein through a fantastical realm filled with strategic challenges and compelling narratives. The game seamlessly blends turn-based battles with impactful decision-making, offering a unique gaming experience.

Riviera’s alluring storyline and multiple endings provide depth and replayability, making it an ideal choice for those seeking an immersive journey. For any in search of a beautifully crafted JRPG with a perfect balance of strategy and storytelling, Riviera: The Promised Land is the promised recommendation.

2 Chrono Trigger

For anyone new to the turn-based JRPG genre, Chrono Trigger is the absolute best first game to play. Fans consider it the gold standard with its stellar soundtrack, incredible story, and multiple endings. There are 13 possible outcomes for players to encounter depending on their choices.

This title is also one of the most widely available, with ports to iOS, Android, PC, and Nintendo DS over the years. You’re sure to fall in love with the amazing cast of characters, from the well-meaning Robo to the noble Frog, a courageous knight.

3 Star Ocean: The Second Story R

Star Ocean: The Second Story R is a remake of the second installment in the Star Ocean series. Playing as either Claude or Rena, you’ll see two different stories unfold, different characters to recruit, and endings to reach.

The beautiful 2.5D graphics make The Second Story R an absolute joy to look at, and the game’s action combat is fun and engaging. Star Ocean: The Second Story R is a perfect remake of the original, expanding in all the right areas while allowing new players to experience the story.

4 Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster

Final Fantasy is one of those series that is impossible to ignore when talking about a genre like this – it’s been a titan within RPGs since its inception. While the original versions of these games are a bit tricky to get into, the Pixel Remasters – released for PCs and mobile devices – are some of the most accessible ways to play the games.

With a slightly lowered difficulty that reduces the need for grinding and plenty of well-needed quality-of-life improvements, the Pixel Remasters of Final Fantasies 1 through 6 represent some of the best ways to get a taste of what makes turn-based RPGs so magical.

5 Suikoden

Whether you’re playing the original version on the PS1 or waiting for the upcoming (at the time of writing) remasters, the Suikoden series – specifically the first two games that form a duology – are fantastic games to pick up for any JRPG fan.

They have a great sense of difficulty and their stories are fantastic, with the stunning ability to convey fantastic narratives on both grander and tighter scales. Plus, the series’ core tenet of being able to recruit over 100 characters makes for a thrilling, compelling game-long sidequest.

6 Persona 4 Golden

Persona 4 Golden is an outstanding JRPG and a great entry into the genre. Like other games in the series, Persona 4 takes a bit to get going, giving you time to get immersed in the sleepy town of Inaba, where mysterious murders are taking place.

With the power of Persona, you’ll need to gather your allies, form bonds with your classmates, and venture into the world inside the TV to solve the murders and save your town. Life-sim and JRPG dungeon crawling intertwine perfectly, creating an immaculate gameplay blend that will keep you coming back for more.

7 Pokemon

The original Pokemon games were first released in Japan in 1996 and have become a fixture in pop culture. The turn-based Pokemon battles pitted one Pokemon trainer against another, using their Pokemon to determine the winner. But the story captivated players most as trainers traveled around the world to different towns during training.

Picking one to play is ultimately up to personal preference and availability. But Pokemon Yellow allows players to have all the original starter Pokemon: Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur. Plus, you get to have a special relationship with a Pikachu, just like Ash Ketchum does in the original anime.

Alternatively, the Pokemon Let’s Go games for the Nintendo Switch are often regarded as the most accessible of the bunch, and are a fantastic way to introduce someone to the world of Pokemon. If Pikachu isn’t your style, go for Eevee instead. They are easy games, sure, but they’re very good for getting you into the world of Pokemon.

If having the most recent thing is more important to you, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are solid entry points – they offer a wide-open world to explore and though the initial release was a bit buggy, it’s come a long way thanks to dedicated performance patches.

8 Ni No Kuni: Wrath Of The White Witch

The first Ni No Kuni game places you in the shoes of Oliver, a young boy who gets transported to a fairytale world and thrust into an epic adventure. This game is absolutely gorgeous, with many cutscenes and character designs straight from Ghibli Studios itself!

The game’s combat system blends turn-based combat with a 3D battlefield that you can move around and even allows you to collect a bunch of odd, quirky, and powerful monsters using the power of friendship. It’s a beautiful game with a fantastic story that shouldn’t be passed on.

9 Yakuza: Like A Dragon

Veterans of the Yakuza series may well have been surprised, perhaps even put off at the revelation that Like A Dragon would end up being a turn-based RPG, setting it apart from other entries in the series. However, as it stands, it’s a very smooth transition into the sub-genre and would serve as a very good introduction to turn-based RPGs in general.

Whether you’re a fan of Yakuza or looking for something gritty yet whimsical at the same time, join Ichiban Kasuga – a fervent Dragon Quest fan and recent prison inmate – as he acclimatizes to the world and deals with the organized crime around him.

10 Ys 8: Lacrimosa Of Dana

Ys 8: Lacrimosa of Dana is one of the most accessible entries in the long-running Ys series. This game once again follows Adol; this time, you’ll explore a mysterious island that Adol has shipwrecked on. The fast-paced, action combat that has become standard for the series is fun and engaging, but doesn’t require a lot of skill to excel at.

Ys 8’s platform availability, soft story reset, and beginner-friendly combat all make for a perfect place to start in the JRPG world. If you love Ys 8, then you can even go back and experience decades’ worth of Ys games.

11 Earthbound

Earthbound is one of those classic games that always comes up in conversations about the “best of the best” – and with good reason. The game is a sequel to Earthbound: Beginnings (previously known as Mother) and became quite the cult classic in the west. In Earthbound, you play as Ness, a young boy who ends up on an adventure to combat a great evil from outer space.

The game was hailed for its sense of humor, its unique take on turn-based battles, and the modern setting that hadn’t really been tackled in the same way before. For its significant place in gaming history, it’s well worth checking this title out.

12 Octopath Traveler 2

Featuring some of the most beautiful art to grace a 2D game, Octopath Traveler 2 is a wonderful title about eight individuals on their own journeys. They meet each other on their adventures and decide to team up, helping each other tackle the problems that lie before them.

Far surpassing the quality of the first game, this sequel is more accessible and more complex, letting you experiment with the deep battle system and exploit great skill combinations. The story is more interconnected, and the world feels more realistic as a result.

13 Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings Of Ruin

If you know Monster Hunter, you might just fall in love with JRPGs as a result of the spin-off series Monster Hunter Stories. Stories is a monster-collecting game with a healthy dose of exploration and grinding, two things that made the Monster Hunter games what they are today. In Stories, however, nothing feels like extra effort.

There are a ton of Monsties to collect, and the game’s story is good enough to keep you motivated. If you ever get bored, there’s always something else to do in the game, and there are even some fun multiplayer options if you can get a friend to play with you.

14 Persona 5 Royal

With a thumpingly good soundtrack, a supremely compelling story, and a slick combat system that’ll keep you playing for hours on end, Persona 5 is a standout game. Add all the extra content that came with the Royal edition, and you have a modern masterpiece.

While some may be put off by the split between the dungeon-crawling sections and the day-to-day life simulation sections, those who like it will find a game crafted with love and passion with almost too many hours of gameplay to offer. It has it all: monster collecting, dating sim elements, a dark storyline, and a cat that can turn into a van.

15 Dragon Quest 11 S: Echoes Of An Elusive Age

Many fans consider the Dragon Quest franchise to be one of the originators of the genre. That’s just one reason why it features in other Japanese game series like Yakuza. Starting with this game, in particular, introduces new players to familiar aspects of the game series in a more standardized format.

It also means that, once you finish this game, you can visit other games in the series and then replay this one. The replayability of JRPGs is half the fun of them because you notice more easter eggs and references on subsequent playthroughs.

16 Golden Sun

Though the series hasn’t had a new game in more than a decade, JRPG fans adore the Golden Sun games. The game system features enemies and turn-based combat, but the unique mechanic known as Psynergy makes all the difference. Players use these special abilities outside of combat to solve puzzles.

The games focus on elements and plots to destroy the world, featuring a cast of teenagers trying to save it. But the game also features cute little critters known as Djinn that grant summoning powers. Modern players can still find the games via emulators, but Nintendo has not had a re-release of the original two games since launch.

17 Valkyria Chronicles

The Valkyria Chronicles series of games can be a bit difficult to get the hang of at first. But its particular type of turn-based combat is not just “engage an enemy and use abilities and attacks.” Players must move across a grid using ability points to engage enemies. Think of it more as a tactics game than a turn-based RPG.

But that’s not the say that the story is lacking in any way. The game series is chock full of diverse characters and sweeping narratives in an alternate Earth timeline. The “puzzles” of combat will keep players coming back over and over again.

18 The Legend Of Heroes: Trails In The Sky

The Trails in the Sky series follows Estelle and Joshua, two Bracers in training who end up in a plot far bigger than their provincial life. The story follows a more traditional JRPG plot in a novel way with diverse character abilities and attacks.

The soundtrack will keep you bopping all day long and the depth of content will keep you up all night. Plus, the adorable dialogue and incomparable characters make for wholesome entertainment for everyone.

19 Super Mario RPG

Super Mario RPG is a 2023 remake of the original 1996 game, featuring a Mario game with a party, turn-based combat, and action commands. As a Mario game, Super Mario RPG is extremely accessible, even for people who may not enjoy turn-based combat.

Mario is tasked with rescuing Princess Toadstool from the dastardly Bowser until they have to join forces against a bigger foe. The Smithy Gang forces old enemies to become allies and that unique twist is more than enough to give the game a shot.

20 Final Fantasy 9

There are obviously many, many games in the Final Fantasy series ranging back to the late 80s. Each one has a unique world setting and a cast of characters. Final Fantasy 9 has a medieval-type setting and a young cast of characters including a princess, a black mage, an actor/thief, and more.

Not only is the soundtrack phenomenal, but the plot of the game deals with all kinds of things, from grief to coming of age to making hard decisions. It makes a fantastic first entry into the turn-based JRPG genre, as well as the Final Fantasy franchise itself.