Best long JRPG worth playing twice

Sometimes it can feel like a marathon to get through the game. Some players like to bounce back and forth between games, which is a good play style, but it's harder to do in a long game. That's why a lot of JRPG fans in particular like to focus on one experience and play it all the way to the end.

Scratching a game off your to-do list and off your backlog can be a huge relief. However, some games are so good, even though they can be challenging, that players will be forced to start over. The following JRPGs are good examples, and the reason why they're worth replaying now varies from title to title.

Persona 5 Royal

The ultimate long JRPG

Persona 5 Royaland the original version, is one of the longest JRPGs ever made, seemingly impossible to get through. This is because the players will have to go day by day with a set schedule that they cannot break away from. That said, this structure helps maintain a great pace as players transition from story segments to more interactive ones, from dungeon diving to fighting in turn-based battles.

At the end, players will feel that they have completed the journey. However, players can start with the New Game+ option and transfer most of their data, including their social stats like Knowledge or Guts. If players didn't mine them the first time, they can try again, and if they do, they can access content earlier and effectively change how certain things play.

NieR: Automata

Get to the end

NieR: Automata is built around the idea of ​​players restarting their journey. The game will begin with players controlling 2b, accompanied by her partner, 9s, in an action-packed JRPG adventure that can feel like a full-fledged experience.

However, this is only about a third of the way through, as players can restart immediately after 9s to witness a different take on the story. Finally, players can take control of A2 and it will all lead to the true finale. Players could stop after campaign 2b, but that would be unsatisfying because it wouldn't answer most of the game's questions.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Choose Byleth

Fire Emblem: Three Houses gives players a lot of choice at the start. As the character Byleth, players will have to choose one of three factions to side with during their military academy days. These include the Leicester Alliance, the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, and the Adrestian Empire.

Aiding one nation gives players a different cast of playable characters to march into tactical battles with, and it also changes the story as the other two nations become political rivals. To get the full extent of the story, players could replay the other two factions, making for a lengthy but satisfying tactical JRPG experience.

Final Fantasy 10-2

How can I help you?

Final Fantasy 10-2 is a direct sequel to the original game and the first ever main series Final Fantasy the game will feature a direct sequel to the game, changing the franchise forever. The game begins with Yuna receiving a mysterious video of what appears to be Tidus in prison calling for help. Fans of the original game know this scenario seems fishy, ​​and so does Yuna, but she decides to explore it anyway, along with her cousin Rikku and newcomer Paine.

The game has a percentage meter that will increase the more players get into the game, including watching side content. It's impossible to play the game 100% the first time, as there are three factions that players can align themselves with along the way. This includes the Youth League, the New Yevon Party, and the Machine Faction. To see what really happened to Tidus, players need to 100% the game, which means they have to replay it.

Scarlet Nexus

Future love

Scarlet Nexus giving players an immediate choice of whether to start as Yuito or Kasane. The game takes place in a post-apocalyptic future, where hunters are trained to defend the last city on Earth from being ambushed by mutant creatures called Others. Yuito and Kasane are part of a group of hunters and start off as allies, but soon after the game begins, they diverge, leaving one effectively hunting the other.

Both characters get their own set of allies to accompany them on missions and can link attacks with allies in action combat. To get the full extent of the story, both campaigns must be completed, and the mystery is strong enough to compel the player to do so.

Triangle strategy

The scales of justice

Triangle strategy is another tactical JRPG with branching paths. The game begins with a neutral territory, House Wolffort, being drawn into a war over salt. What makes this game different is that players don't choose one of three nations, the Kingdom of Glenbrook, the Grand Duchy of Aesfrost, or the Holy State of Hyzante, to follow along.

Instead, there are times in the campaign where players have to vote, and if they want to proceed in a certain way, then they have to convince their allies to take their side. Playing through the game will help players see different sides of the war, but what's more, there are exclusive characters on each side. If players want to collect all party members in the game, they must replay the game.

Chrono Cross

Dimensional cracks

Chrono Cross is a classic turn-based JRPG for the PS1 that isn't as celebrated as its predecessor, Chrono Triggerthough it does do some interesting things with the campaign. Instead of time travel, players can switch between two alternate dimensions to see how each world is different.

By completing tasks in a certain way, they can gain new party members. It's impossible to get them all in one playthrough while also getting the right materials to get the true ending. Fortunately, there's New Game+ to let players try again, and it's fun to Chrono Trigger is credited with improving how New Game+ works in games.

Front Mission 1st: Remake

See Side Two

The front mission it was released for the SNES in 1995 in Japan with only one campaign. It was followed by Royd Clive, which was part of the OCU, but when the game was remade for the PS1 in 2003, also only in Japan, a second campaign was added. Players could choose to play for OCU or USN starring Kevin Greenfield.

The first time players enjoyed the game was the 2007 DS version and Front Mission 1st: Remake is a remake and the most accessible version to date since 2022. Both campaigns are completely self-contained, allowing players to see how each side of the war unfolds. Because this is a game about mechs and two sides of a war that has a justifiable means, it's a bit like the original Gundam a series that also showed the good and bad on both sides of the war.