Summary
Japanese role-playing games, orJRPGs,are widespread and beloved by the masses for many reasons. The genre found its stride on the SNES before blowing up in popularity across Eastern shores withthe launch ofFinal Fantasy 7on the PS1. This turned Sony’s debut console into a hub of JRPGs, and many of them are hailed as some of the best the genre has to offer. As gaming evolved past polygonal graphics and slow combat systems, some people felt that the genre was dying out, only for a modern resurgence to bring JRPGs back to the mainstream once again.
Still, it can be hard to convince new players to check out JRPGs, because of a perceived need to grind out meaningless encounters to gain levels. This is the gameplay equivalent of filler in the eyes of many. Since it is quite common, it’s nice to see games that value a player’s time and ensure that their games don’t require players to partake in meaningless battles.
Chrono Triggerwas ahead of its time in more ways than one. In a genre that promoted grinding to acquire items, weapons, and experience, this game discarded all its genre trappings to delivera perfectly paced adventure. The game was filled with amazing set pieces, memorable characters, and one of the best integrations of time travel ever seen in a video game. The fact that it didn’t mandate grinding of any kind helped it stand out as well.
Every dungeon and boss fight inChrono Triggercan be tackled naturally, with little to no punishment thrown towards the player for avoiding encounters. As long as the party makeup was sound and players knew how to work around the combat system, they could go through the game at a breezy pace. Lavos can be fought at any point during a player’s run, and this is doable as long as players are diligent about upgrading their equipment and acquiring enough double and triple techs.
Givenhow shortParasite Eveis, it’s easy to see why grinding is not required. Players control a single character who engages in encounters naturally throughout the game’s run. The battle system is fairly forgiving, and Aya can avoid most damage as long as she keeps her distance from foes. Leveling up comes naturally, and players don’t need to force it make the most of this combat system.
The story doesn’t overstay its welcome, meaning that there’s no need for players to grind out encounters. This will just take away from the enjoyment players can experience with this title. This time is better spent uncovering the central mystery behind Eve’s obsession with mitochondria.
It’s only a given thata JRPG with Nintendo’s stamp of approvaldoesn’t require any grinding, which is precisely whySuper Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Starsis hailed as one of the best games in the genre. Both this title and its remake did a great job of integrating classic JRPG gameplay without leaning toward the frustrating grind plaguing many titles in this genre.
Every zone in the game feels unique without overstaying its welcome, ensuring that players will be entertained as they go through each level. They won’t feel the need to grind out enemy encounters for resources or experience. The game is best enjoyed at a leisurely pace, and players will impede their own enjoyment if they break its brilliant pacing by grinding out meaningless encounters over and over again.
TheShin Megami Tenseigames are known for being some of the most hardcore experiences players can get their hands on. In contrast,thePersonaseries is as accessible as they come, with each successive entry in the series feeling easier to play. While an argument could be made thatPersona 5had its challenging moments, the quality-of-life changes, coupled with additional gameplay tweaks, have helped it stand out as one of the easiest and most approachable JRPGs available.
If players struggle with a boss fight, it’s not because their level is too low. The encounter design and mechanics here play a bigger role than anything else, ensuring that players employ sound strategies and capture Personas with the relevant strengths to get through these fights. Unless players want to tackle the superbosses in this game, grinding is not necessary at all and can make an already lengthy JRPG downright grueling to get through.
A huge reasonwhyFinal Fantasy 7became such a major successwas because of its easy gameplay. Players can approach this amazing game without feeling the need to grind out levels. In fact, some people would argue thatFinal Fantasy 7is so easy at times that players are better off running away from random encounters to ensure that their party members don’t become too overpowered. It’s a weird problem to have, but it speaks volumes when it comes to the love people have forFinal Fantasy 7.
There’s no need to grind in this game at all unless players want to master every materia and take out the game’s superbosses, which is a challenge only hardcore JRPG fans need to undertake. For casual players,Final Fantasy 7never puts up any roadblocks that can only be surpassed by grinding out levels. This title shows how important it is for a JRPG to avoid unfair difficulty spikes, and instead focus on delivering an entertaining experience with memorable characters and an incredible story.
