The best JRPG that breaks traditional genre conventions

Key Takeaways

• Star Ocean The Second Story R breaks fantasy conventions by adding sci-fi elements and provides 99 endings.
• Radiant Historia breaks up JRPG linearity with Perfect Chronology's multiple timelines.
• The triangular strategy presents a political narrative of deep moral choices and human character.

JRPGs have been setting the standard for video game narratives and mechanics for years. The deep lore, strong character work, and unique gameplay loops of these titles have made JRPGs one of the top genres for gamers around the world. But with such a powerful library of titles, it's natural that certain conventions and tropes will start to emerge. .

So how can JRPGs break convention? Which rules should you keep and which rules should you break? Should the story change its classic high fantasy setting, or revamp the turn-based combat that helped define the genre in the '80s and '90s? These games in particular break away from traditional JRPG conventions to great effect.

5 Star Ocean Second Story R

Defies fantasy conventions with a sci-fi flare

It's one of many Square Enix games that stray away from pure fantasy and add a healthy dose of sci-fi. Star Ocean Second Story R is an incredible turn-based game that gamers won't want to miss. Especially if you like influencing the narrative through your choices. Choosing one of two protagonists from the start to guide the narrative, players will be guided through one of 99 endings, influenced by how they interact with more companions.

The game enjoys all the classic high fantasy settings that fans love, while ignoring many of its aesthetic tropes. The existence of cutting-edge and future-oriented technologies Second story R As a single planet in a galactic-scale epic. This is a great way to show how important the composition of the setting is to its place in the genre.

4 Shining Historia

It strips away JRPG linearity in a fascinating way.

Many JRPGs are known for their strong but linear narratives. This is a convention that has already been broken by a few titles, but in general, especially for older games, the agency the player has in many JRPG worlds is limited to things like forming a party and what side quests to undertake. , as opposed to influencing the outcome of the story.

Shining Historiaespecially perfect chronology The 3DS remaster is a perfect example of a game that defies linear narrative in interesting ways. Stocke uses the White Chronicle to explore two different timelines that diverge from his choices, jumping between them to find answers to problems found in just one timeline, and in the process, discovering both timelines. You must save them all.

3 triangle strategy

An epic political story without a big villain.

It's not the most famous of Square Enix's titles, but it's certainly an underrated success with its incredible morality mechanic. triangle strategy There is an incredible branching storyline that takes players in directions across the continent of Norzelia. Let's be honest, in a genre filled with evil wizards and vicious dark knights with comically large horns on their helmets; triangle strategy It breaks away from these problems with a surprising level of political realism and truly human characters that still provide players with Enjoy a twisty and brutal story.

Balancing the three main beliefs and having a story where players are determined by their companions is already innovative enough in the JRPG format, but what it adds here is an incredibly engaging narrative that shows characters changing, growing, and even when something comes to fruition. no see. It's too difficult or not worth the risk of getting involved.

2 resonance of fate

Amazing battle system and novel setting

resonance of fate It's one of the most beloved JRPGs of all time, acclaimed for its stellar combat system that surpasses JRPG standards in many ways. This “triple attack combat system” allows players to move freely during combat turns, limited by action points. You can then attack your opponent from an advantageous angle while also charging up a single attack multiple times instead of just once.

The game's setting blends a gritty future dystopia with the iconic steampunk style for an incredibly fresh aesthetic, making it one of the best post-apocalyptic JRPGs players can get their hands on today.

1 Shin Megami Tensei 5: Revenge

Combat is just one option in SMT

Shin Megami TenseiAs one of Atlus' flagship series, has consistently broken down the barriers to what JRPG combat should consist of. Shin Megami Tensei 5: Revenge I'll mention here that this is an incredibly polished title that's worth bringing the series' legacy to the Switch. The complex story isn't necessarily groundbreaking in the genre, though. SMT's discussion of law and chaos rather than good and evil is always a nice subversion of the more binary narratives that JRPGs can have.

In almost all non-boss encounters, demons can be interacted with through dialogue instead of combat. SMT. in pluralPlayers will communicate with demons, attempting to recruit them to their party through sweet talk, bribery, or blackmail. However, depending on which secondary skills you have used, you can also steal items, scare them in battle, or barter their essence.