Summary
JRPGs feature some of the most epic adventures fans can sink their teeth into. The sheer number of hours fans can clock in when it comes to this genre is simply mind-blowing, showing how much players are invested in games with a cast of memorable characters that keep players engaged with the overall narrative while taking out the many enemies that stand in their way.
Games that entertain players for hours on end present a massive world full of interesting landmarks,side content, and tantalizing lore. The sense of scale in these games is off the charts and helps these JRPGs immerse players in no time. It takes something masterful for the world design of these games to feel so epic, adding to the experience and potentially establishing these titles as some of the best Japanese role-playing games fans can sink their teeth into.
Xenoblade Chroniclesneeded to hit the ground running for Nintendo to have faith in their purchase of Monolith Soft. Thepotential of this franchiseinXenogearsand theXenosagatrilogy was prevalent for everyone to see, but it wasn’t until the launch of this game that fans were treated to one of the greatest open-world JRPGs of all time, a game that takes place on the bodies of two frozen titans, with the residents on each Titan locked in a conflict.
At the heart of this tale is Shulk, the protagonist who discovers his ability to wield a powerful sword known as the Monado. One thing that players will notice from the get-go in this game is the amazing sense of scale and exploration, allowing players to explore the far reaches of the map and uncover the secrets, battles, quests, or anything else along the same lines that come in their path. It’s easy to see why this game’s impressive world design led to the developers of the newLegend of Zeldagames taking help from these people to form one of the most grandiose worlds ever seen in a game featuring Link.
SquareSoft had perfected their game development process to a T on the SNES, making it easy to see why so many of their JRPGs were present on the console. This includesFinal Fantasy, a series that hit its stride on this console, even if its mainstream popularity was achieved with the dawn ofFinal Fantasy 7on the PS1. Its predecessor is hailed by many as one of the greatest video games of all time, withthe ensemble cast ofFinal Fantasy 6helping it stand out as a JRPG epic that feels awe-inspiring to this day.
Overworlds were commonplace in most JRPGs at the time, so the World of Balance felt pretty standard when the game came out. However, what players didn’t know was that a cataclysmic mid-game event would lead to the destruction of this world, thrusting players into the post-apocalyptic World of Ruin where they had to bring the gang back together for one final confrontation against Kefka. In this context, both ofFinal Fantasy 6’s worlds feel as epic as they come, with this sense of scale being further hammered in by the non-linear progression in the World of Ruin.
Time travel can become messy if the people handling this concept don’t treat it with the care it deserves. The dream team ofChrono Triggerwas more than up to the task, with the combined efforts of Akira Toriyama, Yuji Horii, and Hironobu Sakaguchi turning this SNES JRPG intoone of the greatest video games fanscould play on the console. While the game starts with a fairly by-the-numbers premise, it doesn’t take long for the time travel elements and Lavos' malignant presence to turn this adventure into an epic for the ages.
As players travel through the ages, the world ofChrono Triggerfeels infinitely vast and loaded with things to do. Despite the game being shorter than most JRPGs at the time, the pacing of this game is masterful and makes the world feel larger than life. There’s something inherently amazing about recruiting party members across multiple timelines to face off against Lavos, turning the battle against this parasite into one of the best final boss fights in gaming history.
The original PlayStation serves as a golden era for JRPGs, with players being treated to a litany of epic adventures, unique battle systems, and memorable characters, among other things. TheFinal Fantasygames are obvious mentions here, but there’s another SquareSoft game that was initially pitched as a concept forFinal Fantasy 7. It was deemed too dark, but this premise had a ton of potential, and the developer decided to greenlight this project under the name ofXenogears.
It doesn’t take long for this epic JRPG with mecha elements to establish itself as one of the best PS1 JRPGs of all time, as long as players only focus on the first disc. The storyline is laden with social and religious commentary while the world itself feels massive, with the conflict between the nations of Aveh and Kislev hammering in just how war-torn the continent of Ignas is. The sense of scale inXenogearsis immense in the first disc itself, to the point where the dev team ran out of time and money before the planned scope of this game was realized. Still,for all its missteps,Xenogearsis one of the most epic JRPGs and will keep players on the edge of their seats during its first half, with the world’s sense of scale being one of its biggest strengths.
A game with heavy gothic and Lovecraftian influences,Shadow Heartshad a major impact on players lucky enough to check this amazing game out. The game combines a real-world setting with fantasy elements, letting players embark on an epic adventure across Europe and China that is full to the brim with earth-shattering events, with a major turning point arriving when Yuri tries toabsorb the might of a powerful monster called Seraphic Radiance, only to lose himself and lay waste to Shanghai.
This adventure across the world lends a sense of scale that helpsShadow Heartsfeel awe-inspiring despite its focus on real-life environments. While most JRPGs may have massive worlds, it’s a genuine achievement forShadow Heartsto make its adventure as epic as possible despite lacking an interconnected overworld and resorting to hubs and self-contained locations. It’s one of the most underappreciated JRPGs of all time that more people should check out.
