16 Best NEW JRPGs of 2021

There is a massive market for JPRGs, and some of these classic video game titles have inspired developers from all over the world to create similar pieces of video game art for others to enjoy. In this list, we’re going to be highlighting some of the most anticipated JPRGs coming out in 2021 that we personally can’t wait to get our hands-on. Some of these games have been released, while others are still slated to launch this year. As a result, don’t take these games in any particular order. We’re still waiting for a lot of these games to make their way out into the marketplace so we can play them. With that said, here are our picks.

Disclaimer Update: Rune Factory 5, Digimon Survive, Final Fantasy XVI were removed due to not hitting the 2021 release calendar year.

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#16 Legend of Mana

There have been all kinds of iconic and classic JRPGs over the years. We’ve seen several IPs blow up and with installments for players to enjoy. For instance, one of the more classic Square Enix JRPG franchises is Mana which started as a spin-off storyline for Final Fantasy. In 2000 for North America, we received the fourth installment to Legend of Mana’s franchise. Within the game narrative, the world of Fa’Diel has found the Mana Tree, a source of life for the world, was burnt down. Centuries later, the game starts, and our silent protagonist hero sets off to restore the world to its once glorious state. Fast forward to 2021, and we have an HD remaster of Legend of Mana. Overall, this is the same game but with just a new coat of paint. It looks drastically better while you still have the same mechanics and narrative that the original installment was known for.

#15 Bravely Default 2

If you enjoyed the Bravely Default games, then 2021 saw the release of the third installment. Although, this particular installment has its own storyline, characters, and even setting. This is a traditional turn-based system where the narrative is a band of heroes seeking to help an exiled princess who found her kingdom robbed of its crystals. There’s also a job system in this JRPG with each character has access to two job classes, which will give them different abilities. Players can strategize how to best set characters up with their jobs to have the edge within the next enemy encounter.

#14 The Caligula Effect 2

If you played The Caligula Effect, which came out back in 2017 for a variety of platforms, then you’ll be delighted to know that a sequel is in the works for October of this year. This particular installment will have a somewhat similar premise for players to go through. In this game, a virtual being had created a world to lock people in. Here, the being aims to erase all of the inhabitant’s past pains and regrets. However, by doing so, the people are now innocently trapped and imprisoned. Set up to look like a modern high school, our protagonist is given the knowledge that they are stuck in a virtual world, which prompts a new group called the Go-Home Club. With this group, players attempt to break free and return to the real world.

#13 Actraiser Renaissance

Actraiser is a pretty old title. This game was launched back in 1990 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Originally developed under Quintet, the studio had brought out several games throughout the 1990s and even the beginning of the 2000s. In September of 2021, we received Actraiser Renaissance, a classic game remake on modern platforms. This is an action RPG with platforming throughout the campaign. Meanwhile, the narrative here is that players essentially take the role of a god, which protects the land from any evil that sought harm. However, when a powerful demon and his army attacked, our protagonist was gravely injured. Falling into a deep sleep within the heavens above, the protagonist awakes hundreds of years later to a world that has been conquered by evil. Now players are forced into fighting off the demons once again and bringing peace back onto the lands. With that said, the developers did bring out a new tower defense mode which gives players the ability to build different fortifications around the land. Likewise, you’ll find some new storylines here as well. Even if you didn’t play the original installment back when it first launched, this is still a thrilling game to enjoy today.

#12 Cris Tales

Cris Tales comes from indie developers Dreams Uncorporated and Syck. Overall, this is a game developed and inspired by classic JRPGs, and it looks to be a friendly title for those that may not be too familiar with JPRGs in general. Here players are taking the role of a young orphan girl who becomes a time mage, and it’s with her newfound powers, she discovers a dark future that could destroy the world as we know it. As a result, players will be going through the past, present, and future to save the world. Fortunately, along the way, players will meet with various helpful allies who will lend their talents in this new epic journey. Again, being inspired by some of the more classic JRPGs, you can expect this to be a turn-based combat title, although it does seem to be a bit easier to manage for newcomers.

#11 Scarlet Nexus

Scarlet Nexus is a title set in a future world where humanity is being attacked by various monsters descending onto the planet. Now with humanity in a fight for their lives, it’s up to the recruits of the Other Suppression Force or known as OSF, to save the day. Players are taking the role of a protagonist that was saved from an attack as a child that nearly met their match by one of these monsters. Years later, the protagonist takes on the recruitment process to fight back against these demonic monsters. With scientists unlocking a substance within the human brain, OSF members are given a supernatural power to help in their battle. In the case of our protagonist, players are given the ability of psychokinesis. Not only are you going through this action RPG to battle off monsters with melee combat and your supernatural powers, but you’ll find other OSF members to join your party. Each OSF member has unique supernatural abilities, but they can be linked to the protagonist for players to use different powers along the way.

#10 Shin Megami Tensei V

A new installment to the Shin Megami Tensei series is coming out this year. This will feature a brand new storyline with more or less the same mechanics that we’re accustomed to with this series which is classic turn-based combat. We’re also likely to see this game occur within modern Tokyo as you battle against demonic forces. Currently, we know that the developers over at Atlus are hoping to get this game out in 2021, which will be released exclusively on the Nintendo Switch. Players will get tied up in the middle of battles between angels and demons in a parallel Tokyo. This has been a beloved franchise for years, and it helped bring out the Persona franchise. Currently, the game is slated to release on November 12, 2021, just as long as there are no unexpected delays to push this game further back into 2022.

#9 Neo: The World Ends With You

The World Ends With You released in 2007 initially and was a big hit. Originally released on the Nintendo DS, the installment continued to find its way on more platforms over the years, including mobile and Nintendo Switch. In 2020 we received the news of a sequel installment coming out into the marketplace, Neo: The World Ends With You. That particular game finally saw a release on September 28, 2021. This installment comes with a new cast of characters where players are mainly following a teenager named Rindo Kanade. After stumbling upon a mysterious pin, Rindo gets tossed into the Reapers’ Game, where participants fight for their survival. Overall, players participate in different missions against other individuals who were also launched in this game seeking their survival. Players will find a mixture of melee combat and puzzle-solving to complete as they progress through this week-long competition.

#8 Ys IX: Monstrum Nox

There’s a strong fanbase for the Ys games, and the latest installment just finally hit the marketplace for markets outside of Japan. While Japan has had this game since 2019, it wasn’t until February 2021 that Ys IX: Monstrum Nox hit the market. Similar to the previous release, Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, players will have various party members to take control of at any given time. In this game, we’re following Adol, who is quickly imprisoned when arriving at Balduq. It’s only during his confinements that Adol meets a woman named Aprilis, who transforms him into a Monstrum. Players are now given supernatural powers and become members of a group seeking to fight off monsters seeking to spread a curse.

#7 Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker

Final Fantasy XIV players are eagerly awaiting the launch of the next expansion. Endwalker is coming out this November, and with it comes a new storyline picking up after the events of Shadowbringers. Players here will be fighting to stop the end of this world. A new calamity is approaching, but will players and their allies be enough to prevent their doom? We’ll get that answer hopefully completely when the expansion launches this year. Still, we know that some locations are being added in, such as new cities along with new classes, dungeons, raids, and even the level cap being raised to 90.

#6 Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & The Secret Fairy

The Atelier series first got started back in 1997 for the original PlayStation. This was a series exclusive to Japan for a good while, and it wouldn’t be until Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana released in 2005 that the game would find its way to western markets. If we fast forward several years to 2019, we received Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & The Secret Hideout, which was a big hit. Today, we can dive into its sequel Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & The Secret Fairy. This game takes place a few years after the first installments conclude, and once again, players are stepping into the role of Ryza. After meeting up with some old friends, a new journey awaits her. Players will be exploring the different ruins located around the capital. Meanwhile, the combat is more real-time as you’ll be able to deliver a barrage of attacks against a hostile enemy with your party while building up an AP gauge to deliver more powerful skills further. With that said, even though this game takes place after the events of Atelier Ryza, you shouldn’t have much of a problem playing this sequel as a standalone experience.

#5 Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin

Monster Hunter Stories was released back in 2016, and it offered players a rather drastically different Monster Hunter video game experience. This was a spin-off title that put players into a more cartoonish JRPG with turn-based combat. In 2021 we have another Monster Hunter Stories installment for players to enjoy. Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin continues with the same visuals and the turn-based combat system. However, the narrative here is based on the disappearance of Rathalos. Vacant from the world, our protagonist is given a special Rathalos egg as he sets out on an adventure searching for what has happened to Rathalos and potentially saves the world from ruin.

#4 Nier Replicant Ver 1.22474487319…

If you enjoyed the original Nier when it launched and moved on to Nier: Automata, then you can get a chance to go back to the iconic prequel title and enjoy it all over again. Now it’s been updated for modern platforms, and it gives you the option to play this game with a nice coat of paint. Here players are going through an action RPG experience with some bullet hell combat as you set off to find a cure for your sibling, who is sick with a terrible disease. I’m not going to spoil things here, but this is one of those games you play twice and get the complete picture of what’s going on. As mentioned, this game has already been released, so again, you’ll know what you’re getting into if you already played the title when it initially launched. Meanwhile, for those who fell in love with Nier: Automata, this is a title well worth picking up.

#3 Yakuza: Like A Dragon

The Yakuza games have been around since the days of the PlayStation 2. These were brawler-type video games, which put players into heavily focused melee fights with different gangs or Yakuza leaders around Japan. With that said, the latest installment was a drastic change in terms of gameplay. Yakuza: Like A Dragon transitioned into a turn-based rather than the over-the-top melee action that we were used to seeing. Everything else that you’ve come to know and love about the Yakuza franchise remained. You’re still able to roam around and participate in different activities freely. However, we have a new protagonist and storyline to go through. In this installment, players are stepping into the role of Ichiban Kasuga. This low-ranking member of a Yakuza family ends up doing nearly twenty years behind bars for a crime he didn’t commit. However, upon his exit from prison, Ichiban discovers that his Yakuza family was taken down. Now you’re forced into figuring out what happened.

#2 Tales of Arise

The Tales games have been around for years, and it seems like the previous breakout hit installment, Tales of Berseria, has put this latest installment on people’s radar. Tales of Arise is another action RPG installment where we get a narrative based around two protagonists, a man named Alphen who was born in a world called Dahna, while a girl, Shionne, from the planet Rena ends up being in a partnership. In this game narrative, the planet of Dahna has been crippled by the advanced world of Rena, forcing most of Dahna into being slaves, as they provide resources and goods to Rena. This is an installment that the developers purposely made to be a bit darker compared to previous entries. The goal of this game is to help evolve the IP and make it more appealing to western markets. Meanwhile, if you played the previous installment, Tales of Berseria, then you’ll know what to expect here, with the combat being more of an action RPG experience. So far, the game has been a massive hit and has already become the fastest-selling installment for the Tales franchise history.

#1 Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade

Even if you’re not the biggest fan of JRPGs, you still know about Final Fantasy. The series has become a worldwide hit, but some installments are more beloved than others. One of those is Final Fantasy VII, which came out back in 1997 for the original PlayStation. So There were so many fans for this installment, and it brought in a new wave of players that didn’t pick up previous Final Fantasy games in the past. For years, fans have been asking Square Enix to go back and remake this game for modern platforms. It wouldn’t be until 2020 that we finally saw a remake release, but unfortunately, this was not a full remake. Instead, players were receiving parts. We’re not sure how many parts there will be before the full game is complete, but if you haven’t picked up Final Fantasy VII Remake on the PlayStation 4, there’s a PlayStation 5 release. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade offers players an enhanced version of the remake, so you’ll have the base game. Although, there is a special episode bundled in that focuses on Yuffie and a new story arc for players to dive into.