Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Pokemon are all beloved JRPG series that continue to this day. While there is a plethora of ongoing series in the JRPG genre, there are also a ton of standalone games that never became a long-running series or even received any kind of sequel.
Many of these games don't even have spiritual successors, although plenty of newer games have been inspired by them. There have been so many standalone JRPGs in the past several decades that it's difficult to be aware of all of them, and which are considered best will differ from person to person. Here are some you may have missed.
11 Rogue Galaxy
Rogue Galaxy is a space-faring adventure developed by Level-5 exclusively for the PlayStation 2 in 2005. Like many other Level-5 games, many who played the game around the initial international release appreciated the great graphics for the time and visually stunning art style. However, there were had mixed opinions regarding the combat because of its unique but repetitive action-oriented gameplay.
Many were also dissatisfied with the lack of depth of the story and backstories for each party character when compared to other JRPGs at the time. Despite these criticisms, Rogue Galaxy was well-received and was digitally re-released on PlayStation 4 in 2015.
10 Eternal Sonata
Developed by tri-crescendo for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2008, Eternal Sonata is unique in that it takes place in a fictional dream world seen by composer Frédéric Chopin while on his deathbed. This dream world is inspired by Chopin's life and music, with some of his compositions included in the soundtrack. All the characters who join Chopin's party are named after different musical terms as well.
Eternal Sonata is a beloved game that succeeds at its goal of making JRPG fans more aware of Chopin's life and music while also containing powerful themes regarding the shortcomings of society. If it ever gets remastered, it could see an even larger fanbase in the future.
9 Infinite Space
Unlike other sci-fi JRPGs, 2009 Nintendo DS title Infinite Space revolves primarily around spaceship combat instead of party-based combat. Due to this aspect, characters will be fatigued after intergalactic travel and must stop at different planets or spaceports to restore their energy; otherwise, they will perform worse in battle.
Although Infinite Space was well-received at the time of its release, it had lackluster sales, which is probably a big part of why there was never a sequel. Featuring mercenaries, pockets of unstable reality, valuable ancient objects, empires, federations, and more, Infinite Space is an often overlooked JRPG that many fans of sci-fi would enjoy.
8 Resonance of Fate
Developer Tri-ace is primarily known for the Star Ocean series, but in 2010 it released an unrelated JRPG called Resonance of Fate for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Resonance of Fate combines real-time and turn-based gameplay by using the "tri-attack battle system," where party characters can execute different actions depending on how many action points they have. A charging system and different damage types depending on the weapons used also help add further depth to the combat.
One of the most interesting aspects of Resonance of Fate is that the weapons are primarily different kinds of guns instead of the mix usually seen in other JRPGs. Resonance of Fate received a 4K remaster for PlayStation 4 and PC in 2018.
7 Folklore
Folklore is a 2007 PlayStation 3 exclusive action RPG developed by Game Republic Inc.and based on Irish mythology. Players take on the role of one of two protagonists with different play styles who are exploring the netherworld for different reasons. Both have the ability to absorb creatures they've defeated to use the powers for themselves.
While Irish mythology has been seen in plenty of games before, it's not seen nearly as often in JRPGs, particularly at the same scale as Folklore. While Folklore was well-received and a sequel was planned, unimpressive sales led to its cancellation, and as of writing, the first game is only playable on PlayStation 3.
6 The Last Story
One of three Wii titles featured in Operation Rainfall and another critically-acclaimed JRPG developed by Mistwalker, The Last Story is an action-oriented JRPG that was first released in Japan in 2011 and released in North America, Europe, and Australia in 2012.
The Last Story follows the character Zael and his party as they participate in a conflict between the human empire and the Gurak. Unlike other JRPGs where all or at least most party characters are playable, Zael is the only playable party member and gives commands to his AI-operated allies instead. Unfortunately, The Last Story is stuck on the Wii and has never been ported to other platforms, and it may be unlikely to receive a remaster in the future.
5 Legend of Dragoon
The Legend of Dragoon was developed by Team Japan and first released for the original PlayStation in 1999 in Japan, 2000 in North America, and 2001 in Europe. It has a traditional turn-based battle system with quick-time events added in. At certain points in the game's story, party characters gain the ability to turn into Dragoon form, a human-dragon hybrid, once they have obtained a Dragoon spirit, hence the game's title.
Despite its more legendary status now, Legend of Dragoon had mixed to average reception at the time of release, with some claiming it was too generic and didn't do anything new or innovative for the genre. The Legend of Dragoon has also never been re-released on other platforms despite its passionate fanbase.
4 Radiant Historia
Initially released by Atlus for the Nintendo DS in 2011 with a remake on Nintendo 3DS in 2017, Radiant Historia takes place on the fictional continent of Vainqueur, which is experiencing desertification due to the Sand Plague, which turns any being who contracts it into sand. After the main character Stocke is given a book called the "White Chronicle," he learns he can use it to time travel and change the past.
Radiant Historia features turn-based battles on a three-by-three grid and has all the staples fans of turn-based JRPGs and tactical games are familiar with. There's no guarantee it will be re-released in the future, but Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology is currently available on the Nintendo 3DS eShop.
3 Lost Odyssey
Although Mistwalker's JRPG Blue Dragon had two spin-off titles for the Nintendo DS, their other Xbox 360 exclusive JRPG Lost Odyssey never had any sequels or spin-offs. Lost Odyssey stars an amnesiac immortal man named Kaim, who is trying to find out what or who caused him to lose his memories. It features similar turn-based combat to that seen in other JRPGs, but adds an "Aim Ring System" where timed button presses can add additional effects to character attacks.
Although it was well-received, some were not fond of its more traditional gameplay, but that didn't stop it from selling well. It's also now available through the backward compatibility feature on Xbox Series X/S.
2 Skies of Arcadia
First released by Sega and developed by Overworks for the Dreamcast in 2000, Skies of Arcadia takes place in the titular world of Arcadia, where all continents are floating in the sky. It stars a crew of air pirates known as the Blue Rogues on a quest to find the Moon Crystals to prevent the evil empire of Valua from conquering the world.
Skies of Arcadia has the typical turn-based combat many have come to expect from JRPGs but also has airship battles where players utilize the weapons equipped to the ship. Besides the GameCube version, Skies of Arcadia: Legends, the game has never been ported to any other platform despite initial plans for it, but maybe someday it will be.
1 Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
It's difficult to say anything about this beloved Super Nintendo JRPG without being repetitive, but it's easy to see why many fans are so fond of it. It has a distinct art style, providing further characterization for previously established Mario characters and introducing new ones. There's also a turned-based battle system with timed attacks which led to the creation of both the Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi series meaning Super Mario RPG probably has the greatest legacy of any standalone JRPG.
One would think it would be more accessible due to this, but it can only be played on either the original Super Nintendo, the Super Nintendo Classic, or the Wii U virtual console.
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