When thinking RPGs with anime visuals, most people will probably have Final Fantasy as the first on their list. And genre fans can direct newcomers to RPGs to other games and properties that have aged quite well through their sequels and remakes. Meanwhile, beyond these certified classics lie underrated and current RPGs that many players may have missed out on.
Given the whole host of options for RPGs with anime visuals, it’s reasonable for fans to feel quite a bit overwhelmed with their selection. Thankfully, some anime RPGs do stand out in terms of both mechanics and their take on their respective themes. Thing is, just which RPGs with anime visuals should gamers try next?
10 Code Vein
Players looking for a game with the aesthetic of God Eater and complexity of Dark Souls will appreciate Code Vein. In this post-apocalyptic action RPG, the world is overrun by monsters after a calamity called the Great Collapse. It’s up to the player, a Revenant or a vampiric resurrected human corpse, to try and save what’s left of the world.
Compared to other fantasy RPGs, Code Vein inspires with its edgy and stylish take on post-apocalyptic fashion. Befitting the vampire trope, many of the characters wear unique takes on black outfits. Moreover, Code Vein and its themes heavily tied to blood give it quite a unique take on anime visuals for RPGs.
9 Tales
With 16 games and Tales of Arise in its belt, it’ll be hard for fans to choose which Tales title to play since its 1996 debut. Published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, each Tales game has a unique premise and cast of characters, although there are a handful of sequels. While largely different, each game does have a common theme of resolving conflicts of coexistence between different races. And in terms of gameplay, Tales' Linear Motion Battle System provided a real-time tactical element that most games from the late '90s and early 2000s couldn't quite match.
In terms of visuals, the Tales games follow a predominantly fantasy theme. However, unlike other more serious fantasy titles, Tales does adopt a colorful anime aesthetic. Main characters have a fair share of unique hairstyles and outfits that would not look out of place in an anime; in fact, some entries have been adapted into anime!
8 Dragon Quest
Fans of Final Fantasy who want to play another RPG outside the hit franchise will want to give Dragon Quest a shot. Square Enix is responsible for both franchises, and whereas Final Fantasy has a crystals-heavy plot, Dragon Quest games follow the adventures of a hero who saves the world with a group of friends.
Unique to Dragon Quest is its visuals. Unlike other RPGs, Dragon Quest utilizes designs from iconic manga artist Akira Torimaya. In turn, the games' characters bear a striking resemblance to Dragon Ball.
7 Phantasy Star Online 2
Compared to other RPGs of its time, Phantasy Star has consistently stayed within its realm of sci-fi adventure. And the franchise’s Phantasy Star Online 2 MMO proved to be quite a hit with the license's fans. Unlike other sci-fi MMOs, PSO2 combined common spacefaring themes of exploration with a sci-fi take on sword fights and magic.
As such, the MMO boasts not only a powerful character creator but also a stylish take on sci-fi aesthetics as well. PSO2 capitalizes on the potential of anime visuals to create captivating armor, outfits, and even weaponry for player characters.
6 Nier: Automata
A sequel to Nier, which is a Drakengard spin-off, Nier: Automata sets itself apart from its mother franchise in both genre and theme. Whereas the core Drakengard series takes place in a dark fantasy world, Nier: Automata is a sci-fi game set in a post-apocalyptic world. Following one of the endings of Nier, Automata takes place thousands of years into the future. This time around, man-made androids fight back against machine colonists from another world.
Unlike other post-apocalyptic anime RPGs, Automata sticks with its sci-fi premise and delivers a pretty complex storyline that does a great job breaking down its main characters. Not only that, but character designs also seem extremely fashionable, while the game's rather stylish action-packed gameplay makes the RPG quite accessible.
5 Shin Megami Tensei
Who says RPGs set in the modern world have boring visuals? Taking place in a world where students often fight a world-ending threat from the shadows, Shin Megami Tensei has quite a stylish take on anime visuals. At its core, Shin Megami Tensei has players make contracts with Demons to do their bidding. SMT has amassed quite a following for the franchise's take on creatures from mythology and folklore, along with its tough but engaging RPG elements.
The Persona games also fit the bill for those looking for RPGs with anime visuals; in fact, the spin-off series might be a slightly better fit than the main Shin Megami Tensei games.
4 Atelier Ryza
Atelier Ryza is a breath of fresh air, both for its mechanics and aesthetics. Atelier Ryza pairs a real-time strategy element with an alchemy crafting component. Alchemy, in particular, encourages players to gather resources and create useful items for the party to use in combat.
Atelier Ryza also has quite an approachable premise. At its core, the games revolve around Ryza Stout’s desire to go on a grand adventure. Unfortunately for her, this dream involves saving the world. Interestingly, the game's anime visuals blend a mix of medieval fantasy and pre-Industrial themes. As such, characters boast comfortable yet chic clothing as they roam around lively cities.
3 Valkyria Chronicles
Unlike other anime RPGs that dwell mostly on fantasy, Valkyria Chronicles offers an alternate take on a world war. Set in 1935 E.C., the continent of Europa finds itself divided between two factions: the East Europan Imperial Alliance and the Atlantic Federation. A conflict between the two groups over a rare mineral called Ragnite leads to the Second Europan War.
The Valkyria Chronicles games either cover the primary conflict, its aftermath, or the smaller struggles of other nations. Befitting its military fiction theme, Valkyria Chronicles is a tactical RPG that uses an action point system to allow players to position troops and do various actions.
2 Disgaea
Tactical RPGs tend to be associated with intense and gripping narratives. Disgaea goes down another route, presenting addictive tactical RPG gameplay alongside a compelling – yet hilarious – premise. Set in the Underworld, all Disgaea games have protagonists that get dragged into a world-spanning conflict.
Typical of a tactical RPG, Disgaea employs turn-based combat, a comprehensive class system, and in-depth character growth. Unique to Disgaea, however, is its seemingly limitless Reincarnation system, ridiculous level caps, and over-the-top story. It also helps that Disgaea boasts an electrifyingly loud aesthetic that fits the franchise's crazy narratives and over-the-top gameplay.
1 Ni No Kuni
For Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, Level-5 collaborated with Studio Ghibli for character designs and visuals. As a result, the RPG delivered a truly captivating visual experience, along with a gripping story befitting the Studio Ghibli aesthetic. While Studio Ghibli did not contribute directly to Ni no Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom, the sequel still retained the art style of its predecessor.
Boasting six games (including mobile releases), Ni no Kuni is set in different worlds and introduces a new cast of characters for the adventures; for example, Revenant Kingdom follows King Evan Tildrum, a usurped king who wishes to reclaim his kingdom.