Turn-based JRPGshave been around almost as long as consoles, which means that developers have had decades to polish them and come up with new ideas to present to fans of the genre. Throughout the years, some timeless classics have been released to the public, giving players hours of fun and delivering on the promise of a quality game with engaging mechanics, compelling characters, and unforgettable settings.
That said, either due to nostalgia or simply because of development costs and other environmental factors, for many, thePlayStation 3 eraof JRPGs was the golden age for this genre. To support this claim and take a walk down memory lane, here are the best turn-based JRPGs on the PlayStation 3.
Set in the Ereborian Empire, right after theTrials in the Sky trilogy,The Legend Of Heroes - Trials Of Cold Steelis centered around Rean Schwarzer, a student at the Thors Military Academy. With his fellow students, Alisa Reinford, Elliot Craig, Laura S. Arseid, Machias Regnitz, and others, his task at the academy is to learn about the abysmal disparities between the working class and the aristocracy.
However, an unexpected assassination will have Rean and his fellow students trapped in the middle of a Civil War between the Elites and the proletariat, forcing them to become involved and witness the conflict first-hand. This game’s combat is exactly what players would expect from a JRPG; nothing more, and nothing less. That said, the story plays a critical role in how the characters develop and adds greatly to the overall experience.
Few games dare to take on such a unique concept asEternal Sonata, and even fewer manage to pull it off well. This game is centered on the final hours of the famous Polish pianist Fréderic Chopin, as he dreams of a fictional world influenced by his life and music. Besides its original concept, one of the greatest parts about this game is that players can play as the deceased pianist if they so wish, making him an important player in his own fever dream.
Eternal Sonata hasa very interesting combat system, as it has all the elements players would expect to find in a turn-based JRPG while also incorporating action-style combat that involves a limited amount of time to make a decision or choose a combat strategy. This makes every decision made by players much more significant and adds a sense of urgency and quick thinking when fighting an enemy.
The game begins with Lightning awakening in Valhalla, a world between the mortal realm and the physical universe. There, she finds a suit of armor that makes her the protector of the dying goddess Etro. A stranger named Noel appears to help Lightning and her companions fight the monsters attacking the world they live in. This game has a very strong time travel element that it exploits to the fullest in order to tell its intricate story.
The combat is very similar toother Final Fantasy installments, and as always, the story is captivating and the characters are quite likable and well-developed.
Ni No Kuni: Wrath Of The White Witch’smain character, Oliver, is a young boy from Motorville who valiantly goes on a journey looking to revive his deceased mother. To accomplish his goal, Oliver must travel to another world where he’ll find many broken-hearted people who’ve been cursed by an evil wizard named Shadar. Oliver will have to help the inhabitants of this new world to recover the broken pieces of their hearts to restore them to full health. Along the way, Oliver will learn many things about himself and, more importantly, about his late mother.
In terms of combat, this game doesn’t innovate much, as it feels very similar to other JRPGs; however, its compelling story, noble end goal, andbeautiful Studio Ghibli art directionmore than make up for that.
Set in 1935, in the fictional world of Europa,Valkyria Chroniclestells the story of a military conflict between the neutral nation of Gallia, the East European Imperial Alliance, and the Atlantic Federation — all in hopes of gaining control over the abundant and rare Ragnite Ore.
When the East European Imperial Alliance attacks the town of Bruhl, Welkin Gunther, the son of a late Gallian national hero, will have to fight against the invading forces to survive and defend his beloved country. As opposed to other JRPGs, it’s quite evident that this game in particular relies much more heavily on military tactics and cold, calculated moves, as victory is almost impossible without a strategic mind. While the game’s undertones arereminiscent of World War II, its art style and sometimes cartoonish animations help relieve the tension of such an important historical conflict.
Set in modern-day Tokyo,Persona 5follows the story of a high school student (who eventually goes by the code name “Joker”). After being falsely accused of assault, Joker has to transfer to a new school and start a new life. However, this tumultuous life change doesn’t stay boring for long, as he and other students gain special powers and form a secret society of vigilantes, known as the Phantom Thieves of Hearts.
With their new powers, Joker and his peers explore the Metaverse, a realm that came into being from humanity’s desires and now poses a threat to the survival of mankind. The game is heavily centered on role-playing and dungeon crawling, and it has been re-released for newer consoles with the greatly expandedPersona 5 Royalversion of the game. This partial life-sim, partial fantasy dungeon crawler serves for many as the pinnacle of the JRPG genre.
