The PlayStation was home to some of the greatest JRPGs ever created. It could be argued that it was the first machine to bring the genre into the mainstream with the release of Final Fantasy VII. Developers Squaresoft (now Square-Enix) combined state of the art, cinematics, and FMV with deep meaningful stories and characters.
The games also had the kind of longevity and replayability not usually seen in a normal action and adventure games. However, it wasn’t just Square that released some of the greatest and biggest games of the generation. Other talented developers like Konami, Atlus, and even Sony helped push the envelope when it came to depth, story, and longevity. Let’s take a look at the 10 of the longest JRPGs on the PlayStation.
10 Chrono Cross – 62 ½ Hours
Developed by Squaresoft, Chrono Cross was released on the PlayStation in 1999. It’s a sequel to the SNES RPG classic Chrono Trigger, and, although it wasn’t quite the sequel that fans were hoping for, it’s still an incredible RPG in its own right.
The graphics and art style still look outstanding by today’s standards and would certainly benefit from an HD remaster for modern consoles. Furthermore, Chrono Cross’s soundtrack by Yasunori Mitsuda remains one of the best in all of gaming. An average playthrough would take players around 38 hours, but completionists can get over 62 hours of gameplay.
9 Legend Of Dragoon - 68 Hours
Legend of Dragoon was released for the PlayStation in 1999. It was developed by Sony’s own SCE Japan Studio in response to the rising popularity of the Final Fantasy game and other JRPGs that were finding a fanbase on the system.
While it never quite reached the heights of Square’s RPG library in terms of storytelling, Legend of Dragoon still looked every bit as good. The game still has a large fanbase today with a petition being launched in hopes of it receiving the HD remaster treatment that Final Fantasy VIII received in 2019.
8 Revelations: Persona - 70 Hours
Revelations: Persona was first released in 1999 for the PlayStation. It is the first game in the much-loved Shin Megami Tensei Persona JRPG series. It was later ported to the PlayStation Portable in 2009 due to the series rise in popularity after the release of Persona 3 and Persona 4.
During a time where the majority of JRPGs on the market had their stories firmly rooted in fantasy and magic, Revelations: Persona stood out from the crowd with its modern-day (at the time) setting and unique Persona bonding mechanics. The main quest takes around 38 hours, but, for gamers that want to see everything it has to offer, it will last up to 70 hours.
7 Xenogears - 80 ½ Hours
Xenogears was released in 1998 for the PlayStation and published by Squaresoft. It was created by the same team that moved on to make the Xenosaga trilogy for the PlayStation 2 and the Xenoblade series for Nintendo consoles.
The game’s science fiction-based story was incredibly ahead of its time with the implementation of psychology, religious themes, and the philosophies of Friedrich Nietzsche, Carl Jung, and Sigmund Freud. Unfortunately, the game was hit with budget restraints, and the final chapter of the story was told through cutscenes. Yet, despite this, the game can still last completionists around 80 hours.
6 Final Fantasy IX – 82 Hours
Final Fantasy IX was developed by Squaresoft and first released in 2000 for the PlayStation. The game was later remastered for the PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and the Nintendo Switch. Final Fantasy IX was a departure from the steampunk and science-fantasy setting of the more recent titles and took the series back to its fantasy roots.
The game’s main campaign should take most players around 40 hours to complete. However, for completionists, Final Fantasy IX will take double that time in order to see everything the game has to offer.
5 Grandia – 85 Hours
Grandia was released for the PlayStation in 1997. It was developed by GameArts, the same team that created the Lumar RPG series for the Sega Saturn and PlayStation. It was released again as part of the Grandia HD Collection for the Nintendo Switch in 2019.
Grandia is still highly regarded as having one of the best and most innovative turn-based battle systems seen in the genre. It’s a far more whimsical tale than what had become fashionable with moody and dark stories seen in the Final Fantasy series. Despite its lighthearted nature, Grandia is a huge game which can last players up to 85 hours for completionists.
4 Final Fantasy VII – 87 ½ Hours
Final Fantasy VII was first released for the PlayStation in 1997. Developed by Squaresoft, it went on to become one of the most iconic JRPGs of all time. It has been remastered for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, iOS, Android, and the Nintendo Switch.
Final Fantasy VII served as an introduction for many to gamers to the JRPG genre and proved that videogames could tell an emotional and involved story that can last players around 87 hours. It opened the door for other JRPGs to get a western release, and its impact can still be felt today with the upcoming Final Fantasy remake due in 2020.
3 Final Fantasy VIII – 89 ½ Hours
Final Fantasy VIII was released for the PlayStation in 1999. It was released just a year after the series’ biggest hit and didn’t quite have the same impact with fans. It’s possible that some gamers not familiar with the series were hoping for a continuation of Cloud’s adventures.
However, fans have to come to appreciate the game a lot more in recent years. In 2019, the Final Fantasy VIII remaster was made available to download critical acclaim. The realistic character models translated well with gamers that had grown used to the recent titles, and the game was huge, lasting players until around 89 hours, and it filled so much more depth than the more recent games in the series.
2 Final Fantasy Tactics 96 ½ Hours
Final Fantasy: Tactics is a spin-off tactical RPG first released on the PlayStation in 1997. It was remastered, re-translated, and expanded with the PlayStation Portable release of Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions in 2007 as part of the expanded Ivalice Alliance universe.
The game’s story is heralded as being one of the most in-depth and complex in the Final Fantasy series. It took inspiration from the War of the Roses from British medieval history. A normal playthrough of the game will last most players around 39 hours, but completionists will find the game can last as long 96 ½ hours.
1 Persona 2: Eternal Punishment – 107 Hours
Persona 2: Eternal Punishment was first released on the PlayStation in 2000 and was ported to the PlayStation Store in 2012. The game is a direct sequel to Persona: Innocent Sin, which itself was ported to PSP in 2011.
The game’s expanded on what was seen in its predecessors with the setting being in a modern-day Japan. However, in line with the rest of the Shin Megami Tensei series, Persona 2 is a very punishing game in terms of its difficulty but is worth enduring because of its gripping story. The game is the biggest RPG on the PlayStation, potentially lasting completionists around 107 hours.