The JRPG genre is one of the most influential gaming genres out there. While western role-playing games are fun in their own right, they do not carry the same charisma as traditional Japanese role-playing games. A fantasy setting, monsters, magical powers, and a cast of quirky characters are only some of the traditional tropes that can be found in JRPGs. More often than not, a JRPG will put the players in the shoes of a hero destined to save their world from a world-ending catastrophe. Players would then put hours upon hours into the game, progressing through a deeply well-written narrative and training their party of characters to be able to challenge the final villain.

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On the surface, the JRPGs formula is quite simple, but the scope of the games defined by this genre always has a sublime level of depth. Players can easily become lost in these fantasy settings for hundreds of hours. Charming visuals and deep lore aside, these games mostly consist of complex fighting systems and game mechanics, sometimes making them extremely hard to play. A traditional JRPG mainly uses a turn-based combat system, which can be very difficult to master. More modern JRPGs have integrated real-time combat systems, but their difficulty still remains unchanged. Here are five of the most stressful JRPGs that players have had trouble finishing.

5 Monster Hunter World

Monster Hunter World

Monster Hunter World is an action role-playing game developed by Capcom and is the fifth mainline entry in the series. As the name suggests, this franchise is all about finding, catching, and hunting wild beasts that roam its world. Players take control of their custom character and then embark on hunts to slay deadly creatures.

The concept of the Monster Hunter series is wickedly fun, but the monster-slaying in this series is as frustrating as it is exciting. Each monster lies in a specific location that the players have to find; then, they have to search for its weakness. Each battle is unique as it requires different strategies, armor, and weapons for its successful execution. If a player is not prepared and does not have a hunter's precision, they are only going to be walking into their deaths.

4 Final Fantasy 12

Final Fantasy XII

Square Enix's Final Fantasy series may as well be the face of the JRPG genre, and out of all the mainline Final Fantasy games that have been released over the decades, none is quite as frustrating as Final Fantasy 12. Though the game is still praised for its story, the developers did mess up the mechanics of this game so much so that the original game largely remains unaccessible to most newcomers.

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Players had to sell items to gain in-game currency, which would have been fine if everything was not so expensive. The world was riddled with enemies but barely any checkpoints to give the progression a decent pace. The experience points earned after battling barely added up to anything, making players feel constantly under-leveled. Moreover, the boss battles themselves were very difficult to get through. Thankfully, the developers made a remaster of this game, titled Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age, which balanced out the gameplay quite nicely.

3 Persona 5 Strikers

Persona 5 Strikers

The Persona franchise has garnered plenty of attention after the successful launch and reception of Person 5. Developed by Atlas, Persona 5 Strikers is a sequel as well as a spin-off of the original Persona 5 and sees the cast of Persona 5 make a return to fight a new evil that is corrupting the nation of Japan. Unlike its predecessor, however, the combat system in the game has been changed entirely, shifting from turn-based to real-time hack-and-slash while still retaining some elements of the original.

Moreover, the calendar system in the game has been removed as well, toning down the anxiety players felt with the original game. However, the difficulty and frustration of its dungeons and shadows still remain largely unchanged. The combat is very fun and engaging, but since the map is filled with so many enemies, the camera issues during a battle sequence can become very frustrating. The bosses in the games are also smartly overpowered, so if players do not bring at least a handful of healing and stamina-recovering items, they are going to be wiped out over and over again.

2 NieR: Automata

Showing  the main characters in NieR: Automata

NieR: Automata is an action role-playing game developed by Platinum Games, but it is, in fact, far more unique than most other JRPGs. It offers a very philosophical plot and is set in a world ravaged by alien machines. The game blends a variety of genres, including platforming, shooting, hacking and slashing, etc. NieR: Automata is a game that, for the most part, excels in everything that it tries to do, but that does not mean that this game is not frustrating to dive into.

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The various gameplay modes can take a toll on players, as they constantly need to adjust to the new fighting style. The story itself requires multiple playthroughs to be fully comprehended, which is very cool, but it can lead to repetition, causing frustration for many players. The boss fights in this game are no joke, and with so much shooting and dodging going on in the battles that the camera cannot always keep up, leading to some very irritating moments.

1 Persona 5/ Persona 5 Royal

Persona 5

Persona 5 has not only revitalized the Persona franchise in the West but has also made the JRPG genre explode in popularity. This game checks all the boxes of a traditional JRPG but brings it forth with such style and tenacity that fans cannot help but be impressed by it. Part life simulator, part dungeon crawler, Persona 5 is the go-to JRPG for many players. However, this game is far from being an easy one. Underneath its artistic style lies a harsh turned-base combat system that will require time and patience to master.

Add on top of that a calendar system looming on the heads of players to complete each task within a designated period, and you have one of the most frustrating games ever, but in the best way possible. The bosses in this game can literally obliterate players within minutes if they do not possess the right personas and skills. Persona 5 is an excellent game that deliberately tries to frustrate its players so that they can learn to become better at its core mechanics. Persona 5 Royal improved upon some tedious factors from the original but is largely still as frustrating of a game as Persona 5 was.

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