Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 it's not a traditional JRPG like it was made in France, but it's an honest one. It's a good example of an RPG that can come out and dominate the conversation. A more traditional JRPG is Person 5which is so widely popular that it can surpass others around it. And that's part of the problem with success stories.
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Sometimes a game can dominate the conversation so much that other games can seemingly disappear. Bigger games released alongside the following examples may have influenced why they weren't given attention in the first place. There are other reasons to consider. Fortunately, they have been given second chances through remasters for JRPG fans to rediscover them. While they may technically be old, they still hold up.
Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha Vs. Mindless army
Spiritual detectives
Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha Vs. Mindless army it was released for the PS2 in 2006, which was late for the system as the PS3 was also released in 2006, which may be why it was mostly ignored. Aside from a digital PS3 port, the game remained untouched until 2025, when it was remastered. Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army launched simultaneously on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Switch 2 and Xbox Series X/S, which is always good to see when a game returns after a long hiatus. The more consoles a game hits, the bigger audience it can get. Also, this is more of a remake than a remaster, as the quality of life improvements and combat buffs are overwhelming, so it's a must. Shin Megami Tensei title.
Players are spiritual detective Raidou hunting demons in an alternate version of what looks like 1930s Japan. During cases, players can fight demons, befriend them, and also fuse them together to create new creations. It's a system that most Shin Megami Tensei fans should be familiar with, but what does it do Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army The unique thing is that it has action combat. Along with the other two demons, Raidou can attack enemies with various weapons and spells, while not Devil May Crycombat has improved significantly. With these improvements and the new consoles, hopefully it can find a bigger audience.
Ys: Oath in Felghana
Zelda as an RPG
Ys 3: Wanderers of Ys was released in 1989 in Japan for their PC systems. North American fans didn't get to play it until the TurboGrafx-CD version in 1991, but the real masterpiece was the remake, Ys: Oath in Felghana. It was first released in Japan in 2005 for PC, and the 2010 PSP version was North America's first foray into the remake. It was finally tweaked once more in 2023 for the Switch in Japan Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghanaand as of 2025 is now playable on Switch, PS4 and PS5 in North America. Aside from the many ports of the original game, the remake itself had quite a long time to linger.
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Port history aside, if anyone wants to get into a Ys game, Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana is the one The entries all follow one character, Adol Christin, and the games are episodic, often out of order, and don't really connect much. The game can be described as a top-down action version of the older version Zelda games. Players can hack and slash enemies in the world or dungeons, acquire magic spells, purchase equipment, and even acquire Metroidvania-like abilities and items. With an understated story and fast pace, this will be a game you can easily scratch off your bucket list in a weekend.
Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean
Angels based on cards
Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean it was released for the GameCube in 2004, which was a year after Japan. For a JRPG-less console, this was a big deal for the GameCube, and fans of Monolith Soft and tri-Crescendo will now surely be happy to know that they developed the game together. It remained exclusive for years until Baten Kaitos 1 & 2 HD Remaster was released for Switch in 2023 and then a year later for PC platforms in 2024. Another game in the collection, Baten Kaitos Originswas a prequel that first launched for the GameCube in 2006.
Unlike most JRPGs at the time, Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean took place on a series of floating islands with angelic humanoids as the protagonists. Also, instead of normal turn-based combat, players had to build decks and use cards to make moves. While the card combat may have kept some JRPG fans from trying it out in 2004, it wasn't the most impossible system to learn. Now that deck building games are more common, card fans may wonder if there are other games from the past waiting to be discovered.
Legacy legend
Mechanically gifted
Legacy legend
- Released
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January 22, 2015
Legacy legend was released for 3DS in 2015, followed by a remaster, The Legend of Legacy HD Remasteredin 2024, which reached PC, PS4, PS5 and Switch. Aside from the graphical improvements, this wasn't much of an improvement as the game already had a distinctly colorful art style on the 3DS. He was originally supposed to be a spiritual successor Saga series that has one of the most unique turn-based combat systems in JRPG history. Before getting to that, players should know that at the beginning of the game they had a choice of several characters. It didn't really matter who they chose, aside from the class adjustments, because the story was the same regardless, since it was rather light.
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Combat and dungeons were important and expanded over time. Instead of traditional EXP, characters would increase their stats after battle based on how they performed. Landing a hit can increase HP, while attacking with a melee attack can increase power. Also, if players were using abilities, there was a chance they would unlock new techniques through experimentation. It was all one big roll of the dice, and that's why Saga the series remains so specialized. Even with the remaster, Legacy legend it may not get too much newfound praise, but it should. For anyone who loves a good experimental battle system, this is the JRPG to check out.
Brave Default: Flying Fairy
The great JRPG returns for a relaunch
Brave Default: Flying Fairy has a confusing history, as it was the name of the original Japanese version of the 3DS back in 2012. It was then upgraded in Japan as Bravely Default: For The Sequel in 2013, and when it finally came out in North America a year later, it was just dubbed Brave Default: Flying Fairyalthough it was based on the second edition. Decades later, she returned in 2025 as Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remasterwhich was one of the launch games of the Switch 2. History aside, it was Square Enix's idea to experiment with the old school Final Fantasy struggle and tradition as a spiritual successor, or perhaps rather as a spiritual regressor.
Players could command only four heroes, who gained classes called Jobs as they battled new bosses. Players could pick up one job, as a Black Mage, but also use abilities as a Monk. Apart from Jobs, it was the Brave and Default system. When players wanted to defend themselves, they could Default and gain an extra turn, which they could then use at their leisure. It added another strategic layer to the otherwise traditional battle system. Between the colorful world, charismatic characters and combat system supported by the class system, Brave Default: Flying Fairy became one of the best 3DS JRPGs and remains a gem now on Switch 2, even with some of its story flaws in the second half.
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