JRPGs have been a part of gaming for quite some time now and a beloved and essential part at that. That is why right from the earlier PlayStation and Nintendo eras, we've been blessed with quite a lot of beloved JRPGs, most of which unfortunately have been left back since its debut on said earlier consoles.
As a result, if anyone were to pick one up now, the difference in graphical and mechanical quality would be very jarring, to say the least. Regardless, these are some of the best JRPG titles out there, and with how a lot of titles are getting their own chance back in the limelight, these are some JRPGs that deserve it just as well.
10 Breath Of Fire Series
The Breath Of Fire series initially debuted on the Super Nintendo in 1993. It was developed by Capcom and published by SquareSoft (now Square Enix). Breath Of Fire was at the time of the most beloved titles developed by Capcom. The art style was more inclined to western audiences, unlike some other JRPGs at the time.
The series only got progressively better and better spanning multiple sequels on the PlayStation as well. The series garnered a lot of fans that desperately want to see its return. And with all the remakes and reboots, Capcom keeps pumping out we may see one soon. If not, we can always dream.
9 Parasite Eve
Parasite Eve was one of the first of many critically acclaimed PlayStation titles back in 1998. It even went to spawn a sequel and prequel as well. As a JRPG, the first game had turn-based elements, not unlike other games of the genre.
The sequel, however, dropped the turn-based mechanics for a real-time more action-packed feel similar to the Resident Evil games. The Parasite Eve games are quite frankly one of the best in its era, and one many would like to see a return of.
8 Final Fantasy Tactics
Final Fantasy Tactics is just one of the many Final Fantasy games in existence today. However, Final Fantasy Tactics is also one of the few games fans agree on the quality of its unique gameplay style, and the combat as it stands out among the other titles in the franchise.
And though it had a remaster for the PlayStation portable back in 2008, it still isn't enough to do the game justice, as it is regarded as one of the best narrative Final Fantasy game to date.
7 Xenogears
Xenogears is perhaps the craziest game on this list so far. What's crazy about it is mainly how the game tells its story. From religious mythology to wacky and just plain insane characters.
The game initially had its debut on the original PlayStation, and despite some of its many bad parts such as the incoherent plot and bad level design, it was still pretty fun to play through. A remake or reboot would be interesting to witness, just to see the charm will come to life on modern consoles.
6 .hack// Series
The .hack series was originally designed towards MMORPG players, which makes sense as the premise of the anime it's based on follows a boy playing a virtual MMORPG similar to the SAO franchise. The game is quite old as it first debuted on the PlayStation 2 in 2002.
While it wasn't all that critically acclaimed, it was still an enjoyable JRPG at the time. And with it being so old, it would be hard to enjoy let alone find. Thankfully a reboot could easily fix that if developer Cyberconnect2 and publisher Bandai Namco deem it fit to be.
5 Nier
We’re sure a lot of people will know about the Nier series by now. If not, most would know the latest entry Nier Automata as it is one of the most critically acclaimed games of this generation and a narrative powerhouse as well. The first Nier, however, not so much. Nier, specifically Nier Gestalt, was first released for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 back in 2010.
Nier is a fantastic game that includes a lot of different elements, including the top-down shooter and 2D side-scrolling. The game succeeded in acquiring a cult following that would love to see its return. Luckily the Japanese version of the game Nier Replicant has been announced recently to have an incoming remaster, which will suffice for now.
4 Suikoden
The Suikoden series is well known and regarded as one of the best on the original PlayStation era. The charm of the Suikoden games is its rich plot and world-building, yet it still plays like any other JRPG back then with turned-based action.
Its sequel, Suikoden 2, is regarded as one of if not the best in its 5-part series, it's just too bad it's quite old for anyone to enjoy. A lot of oldies regard these games as a classic, most of which would want a comeback to the series.
3 EarthBound
A lot of gamers know the name Earthbound and a lot have also played this super Nintendo classic. While the game initially released back in 1994, it's still regarded as one of the best games to date with its loveable and quirky characters and incredible soundtrack.
With a lot of Nintendo classic games getting their own remakes and reboots, this OG of a game certainly deserves one of its own. So if someone from Nintendo is reading this, get on it.
2 Magna Carta Series
The Magna Carta series is the very definition of an underrated videogame. The series' first game Magna Carta: The Phantom of Avalanche, was a PlayStation title that released back in 2001. It was successful enough to get a second game titled Magna Carta: Tears of Blood on the PS2, which was then succeeded by the more popular but still underrated Magna Carta 2, which released as an exclusive to the Xbox 360 in 2009.
After that, though, the series seemed to have just faded with barely anyone still talking about it, which is a shame as the games are both enjoyable and well-crafted. It also comes with a deep combat system. If there's any game series that deserves a reboot, it's the Magna Carta series.
1 Chrono Trigger
When classic JRPGs are mentioned, for a lot of people, Chrono Trigger is what comes to mind. It is regarded as not only one of the best JRPGs of all time but also one of the best games of all time. While it's more than two decades old at this point originally releasing in 1995 on the Super Nintendo, from the minds of the creators of Dragon Ball, Dragon Quest, and Final Fantasy.
This is well represented by the fantastic character design, impressive gameplay, and interesting storyline. Chrono Trigger is universally regarded as a fantastic game and its quite frankly criminal that its yet to have a remake or reboot of its own.