Many Western RPGs depict an adventure set in classic fantasy settings. They usually involve a band of adventures in a medieval time period with races like elves, dwarves, and orcs living throughout the world. On the flip side, Japanese RPGs aren’t so traditional and have been known to be quite unpredictable.
Stories can be much different, like revolving around getting a colorful cast of characters and creatures together in a semi-futuristic setting to take down a supernatural threat. Even today, series like Final Fantasy and Persona continue to dominate the market. Looking past these franchises, there are a number of smaller and lesser-known series that could stand to be brought into the spotlight once again.
10 Breath Of Fire (Last Seen In 2016)
First developed by Capcom in 1993, Breath Of Fire experienced moderate success across numerous Nintendo consoles. The series is comprised of five main installments and most recently a web-based title that existed solely on PC, iOS, and Android devices. Breath Of Fire followed the adventures of Ryu, a boy with blue hair and a member of the Dragon Clan.
He would also fight alongside characters with animal features from other clans. Most of the games use traditional turn-based combat that steadily increased in difficulty. Considering all the elements available and the fact that the main character can turn into a dragon, there are still many places for this series to go.
9 The Lufia Series (Last Seen In 2010)
Sometimes the most memorable games are the most traditional and Lufia is nothing if not memorable. With the first game released in 1993 by Neverland, Lufia continued to grow as a series. The original game was reminiscent of early Final Fantasy, where you controlled a party of four characters on a quest to save the world.
It took place in a classic fantasy setting full of magic and colorful environments. Beginning in 2D, the most recent games in the series have been in 3D to emphasize movement and exploration. The series has fallen from view since its DS entry with two other installments being canceled, but it would be worthwhile to revisit them.
8 Monster Rancher (Last Seen In 2008)
When Pokemon Red & Green were released in Japan in 1996, it didn’t take long before imitations started to follow. Monster Rancher, released in 1997 by Tecmo, is definitely similar to the more famous series. The game and its sequels have very familiar elements: You play as a human who adopts monsters to fight in battles and train around the world.
Unlike Pokemon where you’re expected to catch as many creatures as possible, Monster Rancher focused on the relationship aspect. Monsters don’t grow stronger solely based on combat but through various training exercises and feeding. The most recent game appeared on DS and there’s still a lot that can be done with the material.
7 .hack (Last Seen In 2007)
Before MMOs and VR became widespread, the idea of being a player in a virtual world was still fantastical. This was capitalized on by developer CyberConnect2, which released the first game in the .hack series in 2002. The original series followed a character named Kite who plugs into a virtual game world based on fantasy. After a programming virus causes one of his real-world friends to end up in the hospital, Kite decides to find out how and hunt down those responsible.
The game involves a lot of free running with combat that uses an AI system similar to Kingdom Hearts. The series includes several games with the original storyline getting a remastered release for PS4 in 2017. However, considering how important the online world has become, .hack could stand to make a comeback.
6 Baten Kaitos (Last Seen In 2006)
There are many games that slip under the radar even though they contain mechanics that are now very popular. Baten Kaitos is one of those games, the first entry in the series coming out in 2003 and developed by studios such as Monolith Soft. The title is set in a world of floating islands where a majority of the population has wings. It follows Kalas, a wandering scavenger who ends up in the middle of a nefarious plot after finding an artifact of terrible power.
In terms of combat, Baten Kaitos is one of the earliest examples of the Deck-building system. Each character’s attacks, actions, and items are determined by what cards they have in their deck, which you select during battle. There hasn’t been a new game since 2006 so now would be a good time to return to it.
5 Mother (Last Seen In 2006)
Some games get recognition for how strange they are while others for the intensity of their story. The Mother series gets both with its most recognized entry being Earthbound, released in 1994. Each game in the trilogy follows the adventure of a child and his friends to stop a dangerous villain. In Earthbound, the child is a boy named Ness who must journey to awaken his power so he can stop an evil alien menace. He is joined by three other children, each with their own stories and abilities.
Each of the games uses turn-based combat that centers the screen on the enemies rather than the characters. While Mother 3 was definitely a satisfying end to the trilogy, some room can be made for another story to take place.
4 Dark Cloud (Last Seen In 2002)
When it comes to RPGs of any kind, typically the focus is primarily on the characters fighting and growing stronger. This was challenged with the Dark Cloud series by Level-5, which appeared in 2000. Unlike other games where characters would fight and gain experience to improve their stats, Dark Cloud focused on weapons. The game is set up as a dungeon crawler in which you control one character who must navigate the level.
Each character has their own ability and weapons that get stronger with the more enemies they slay. Characters can only level up by eating their favorite foods, which are obtained by restoring the towns you visit. Combining an RPG with puzzle-management elements makes for a unique experience that deserves more exploration.
3 Chrono Trigger (Last Seen In 2001)
There are certain games that have such a reputation that not knowing about them is almost a gaming industry crime. Chrono Trigger is one of them, originally released for the SNES in 1995 by Square. It’s a magical fantasy adventure with time travel and art by Dragonball’s own Akira Toriyama. The hero Chrono and his companions explore various environments where enemies are actually visible instead of being random encounters.
The game transitions between exploration and combat seamlessly and introduced combo attacks, which added importance to who was in your party. Despite this, the series struggled with its sequels that ended with the last being canceled in 2003. Now that time has passed, it’s worth it to go back and revisit Chrono’s world.
2 Thousand Arms (Last Seen In 1998)
While dating sims used to have niche appeal, they have grown in popularity, especially when given a comedic angle. It was Atlus that decided to combine dating with RPGs in 1998 with Thousand Arms. The game follows a womanizing blacksmith who goes on a quest to recover several powerful artifacts before the villain. However, in order to succeed, he must power up his weapons by increasing his intimacy with multiple women throughout his journey.
The game is split between going on dates and turn-based combat. Although three party members are present, only the one at the front can physically attack while the others provide support. It’s a game that’s dated in some ways and so could use a fresh and more modern update.
1 The Shining Force Series (Last Seen In 1998)
One thing that defines RPGs is a huge cast of characters with creative designs. Shining Force has that in spades, released in 1995 by Climax Entertainment. It follows the hero Max as he ventures to stop a dark entity from awakening. You can recruit up to 30 characters of different races and classes. Battles are fought in a top-down turn-based strategy format in which you move individual characters around the battlefield.
Each encounter feels like a huge battle where one wrong move can decide between victory or defeat. The trilogy was finished in 1998, leading to the spinoff series Shining Soul. However, returning to the original can allow for even more characters and greater battles.
NEXT: JRPGs Where the Story Is Totally Optional
