Summary
TheJRPGgenre is filled to the brim with some of the best, most engaging, and epic adventures you can have in the industry, packed with hundreds of hours worth of content, fascinating characters, and a world you want to be swallowed up in forever.
Whether they offer turn-based combat or dabble in real-time action,2023 has many excellent JRPG offerings that will make fans of the genre feel right at home and those interested in taking the plunge excited at the expansive worlds they can explore for the first time.
With a clear inspiration from theMonster Hunterseries,Wild Heartssaw Dynasty Warriors developers Omega Force take a stab at the unique Action JRPG for the first time, creating one of this year’s best offerings.
While it’s missing that ‘something’ that keeps Monster Hunter feeling constantly rewarding, fresh, and exhilarating, Wild Hearts was able to scratch the itch more than enough for those of us patiently awaiting for Monster Hunter Wilds to release sometime in 2025.
Staying on track with another Koei Tecmo-published title, we have Team Ninja’sWo Long: Fallen Dynasty, which takes everything they’ve been perfecting with theirNiohentries,refining them even further,and ramping the combat up to 11.
If you’re a fan of Soulslikes and really enjoyed the Nioh series, then Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty will not disappoint. Everything from the boss encounters to the setting and enemy designs is top-notch, and Team Ninja has yet to disappoint when exploring this genre.
Perhaps not the best entry in the series,Fire Emblem Engagestill manages to be captivating with its story, characters, and combat encounters, making it a must-play for fans of the genre or series or those who want to dip their toes into it for the first time.
This strategy, turn-based JRPG, is tremendously solid from beginning to end, making each encounter feel rewarding and meaningful, something we’d argue the previous installment fell a bit short of doing. Overall, Fire Emblem Engage is fantastic and worthy of your attention.
7Tales Of Arise: Beyond The Dawn
We tried our best not to include many expansions or remakes, but you will soon learn that these rules are not so cut and dry, as we have the Beyond the Dawn expansion forTales of Arisehere and a remake following immediately after.
However, in our defense, this expansion is pretty hefty, offering tremendously challenging and rewarding boss encounters, fantastic character stories and quests, and ties up all the loose ends of our beloved party members from the base game, making it a must-play for fans of the base game or newcomers looking to experience this world and characters for the first time.
As we pointed out in the last entry, we tried our best to avoid including remakes or expansions, but how can you make a ‘Best JRPGs of the Year’ list and not have theSuper Mario RPGremake within it? The answer is simple: You can’t.
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars was, in many cases, lots of people’s first experience with the JRPG genre, making it unbelievably special and influential. So, naturally, when a remake of it was announced and released, it was inevitable that it would be amongst the best offerings of the year. This was a must-play then and remains the case now.
5Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist Of The End & The Secret Key
Saying thatAtelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Keyis a lowkey sleeper hit is an understatement, as this entry is just straight-up underrated and deserves so much better. This game is one of the best JRPGs of the year, and it isn’t even close.
Satisfying turn-based combat,excellent characters and party members,beautiful areas to explore, and much more make for one of the most engaging and solid entries in the series that is a must-play for fans and newcomers alike. Please do not sleep on this title. It’s terrific from start to finish.
Speaking of excellent turn-based combat,Octopath Traveler 2refined pretty much every aspect of its predecessor, creating one of the best JRPG experiences of the year without any questions, making it a must-play for those yearning for a more classic entry in this beloved genre.
The writing and characters are off-the-charts good, and the combat matches that level of polish and refinement.There are almost no downsides to the experience Octopath Travel 2 presents you,and we cannot stress enough how much of a hit this is for anyone looking for some old-school JRPG goodness.
Whether you’re a massive fan of the JRPG genre or the Final Fantasy series, you’ve likely heard rumblings of the critically acclaimed MMORPGFinal Fantasy 14from Creative Business Unit 3 and Square Enix, one of the most popular and highly praised games in its respective genre and the series in general.
And, if you’ve heard of that, perhapsFinal Fantasy 16being led by the same team will grab your interest. This is an Action JRPG with heart,shining through in nearly every single one of its characters,and a rich, epic story that is only bolstered through its fierce combat encounters and gigantic set pieces.
2Honkai: Star Rail
Though ‘technically’ not a JRPG in terms of where the game was developed,Honkai: Star Railjust embodies the JRPG genre from head to toe, making it a no-brainer on whether we should include it on the list or not.
The turn-based combat is deep, rewarding, and remarkably fun.The characters are all charming with unique abilities and skills,making party composition matter more than you’d expect. And the overall story is surprisingly enjoyable, having this check all the boxes, making it a must-play for anyone interested in the genre.
Last but certainly not least, we haveThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomto close out the list, which is the direct sequel to one of the best Action JRPGs of all time in ‘Breath of the Wild.’ This release essentially trims all the fat from its predecessor and expands on everything that worked, making for another magical experience.
Tears of the Kingdom will amaze you from beginning to end, giving you constant things to see and do, with a solid story that will surprise you. Overall, this release proves that this formula works, and proves that it could have been even better, making it a must-play for anyone who loved its predecessor or wants to see why it was so beloved in the first place.
