Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
- #16 Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince
- #15 Super Mario RPG
- #14 Persona 5 Tactica
- #13 Sword Art Online Last Recollection
- #12 WrestleQuest
- #11 Like a Dragon Ishin!
- #10 Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key
- #9 One Piece Odyssey
- #8 Persona 3 Portable
- #7 Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2
- #6 Mon-Yu
- #5 Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
- #4 Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society
- #3 The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure
- #2 Persona 4 Golden
- #1 Final Fantasy XVI
JRPGs have been on a roll as of late. Both in terms of the 2D world and the 3D world, and yes, the 2.5 HD world. Point is, many developers have been going to JRPGs to make out mega-hits, and 2023 is honestly going to be loaded with them. Here are a few examples of that.
#16 Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince
Platform: Switch
Release Date: December 1, 2023
In Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince, you’ll see your protagonist get cursed! That’s bad! But what’s worse is that this curse prohibits them from fighting against the monsters he comes across directly. So what’s a protagonist to do? Well, he’ll need to capture some monsters and have them do the fighting! It should be easy, right?
Gather strong monsters, and then fuse them together to make even grander beasts! With an elf at your side, you might have what it takes to defeat those who cursed you! Or perhaps you’ll die trying. After all, these are monsters, and they don’t often play nice with others.
#15 Super Mario RPG
Platform: Switch
Release Date: November 17, 2023
Given the characters involved, you might find it hard to picture Super Mario RPG as a “traditional” JRPG. But when you play the original or the recently released remake, you’ll see exactly why it fits that mold.
First off, it’s classic turn-based gameplay with you having a team of characters and trying to use their abilities to get past the bad guys. Second, it has levels to explore, bosses to fight, and an over-the-top storyline about a “gang” made up of weapon-style characters taking over the Mushroom Kingdom!
So you need to save the day, and that’s definitely a JRPG thing. So jump on in and start your adventure!
#14 Persona 5 Tactica
Platform: PC Xbox One XSX|S Switch
Release Date: November 17, 2023
Did you see this coming? Few did, which makes Persona 5 Tactica a unique title that many will want to get once it comes out to console and PC.
The game will bring back the beloved Phantom Thieves and throw them into an unknown realm where an oppressive regime is ruling over its people with an iron fist. That’s where you come in. You’ll be pulled into a revolution via a woman named Erina, and you’ll make a deal with her to free everyone.
A turn-based tactics RPG awaits you in this new world. But will the story play out like you think it will?
#13 Sword Art Online Last Recollection
Platform: PC PS4 Xbox One XSX|S PS5
Release: October 06, 2023
If you’ve been a fan of SAO since its beginning, or you’ve found the franchise and wanted to see what its finale will be, take heart. Why? Because Sword Art Online Last Recollection is here, it’s branded as the “culmination” of everything the franchise has been building toward.
You’ll be a part of the Underworld War, a final struggle between humanity and the Dark Territory. This is your chance to end all the pain and suffering that has been going on. Yet right when you think things are going your way, new players come into the mix.
Find out how this story ends, and see if it’s the ending you were expecting!
#12 WrestleQuest
Platform: PC PS4 Xbox One XSX|S PS5 Switch
Release: May 2023
They say the cream always rises to the top! If you believe that and want to prove you’re the best wrestler to ever live, then head into WrestleQuest and piledrive anyone who gets in your way!
In this fun mix of wrestling and RPGs, you’ll create a character and learn the ropes from the legendary masters of the wrestling ring. Then, you’ll travel the land proving your skills to try and dominate the sport!
With mentors like Randy “Macho Man” Savage and others to help you out, you’ll be ready for anything! So get into the ring, learn your moves, and become the champ!
OOOOOOHHHH YEAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!
#11 Like a Dragon Ishin!
Platform: PC PS4 Xbox One XSX|S PS5
Release: February 21, 2023
If you’ve been a fan of Capcom’s gangster series, you’ll need to see their dive into the past via Like a Dragon Ishin!
In the game, you play a Samurai from the 1860s. He is someone who has been wrongly accused of murder and must fight to not only get the truth about his father’s death but restore his honor and save Japan in the process!
Japan is standing on the knife edge of change, and you’ll be the one to wield the blade to slice the country into its new age! A deep story mixed with exciting combat awaits you. So don’t miss out!
#10 Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key
- Developer: Gust
- Publisher: Koei Tecmo
- Platforms: PS4 PC PS4 Switch
- Release date: May 23, 2023
That is a very long name for an RPG. But Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key is an RPG experience you’ll want to participate in. Of course, that goes double if you’ve played the games in the past.
Ryza and her friends try to enjoy their lives when something unexpected happens. Specifically, a set of islands have magically appeared next to the ones they live on! With their homes threatened, Ryza must gather her allies one last time and see what is going on.
A profound journey awaits you, and you’ll have one of the biggest places to explore in the series’ history.
#9 One Piece Odyssey
- Developer: ILCA
- Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Platforms: PS5, PS4, PC, Xbox Series X/S
- Release date: January 13, 2023
The One Piece franchise continues to roll on with its anime and manga, and the stories within them continue to surprise.
But with One Piece Odyssey, the video games are getting an original tale. In it, Luffy and company get shipwrecked on a mysterious island. The twist is that the isle forces them to relieve some of their memories and experiences from past islands.
You’ll get to play as all the Straw Hat Pirates, take on legendary foes, and battle alongside fan-favorite characters!
What is the truth behind the island? Who is causing all of this to happen? Play the game and find out!
#8 Persona 3 Portable
- Developer: Atlus
- Publisher: Atlus
- Platforms: PS2, PSP, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
- Release date: Jan 19, 2023 Modern Platforms
The Persona line is known right now for Persona 5, but as you can tell by the numbering, that means there were other games before this. Persona 3 Portable was the third main entry, but it was made for the PSP, and is now its available on modern platforms.
In it, you will be part of a high school group that goes into a separate dimension with their Personas to try and rid the world of the darkness that has been set upon it. You know, typical high school stuff.
#7 Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2
- Developer: CyberConnect2
- Publisher: CyberConnect2
- Release date: May 10, 2023
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X and Series S, PlayStation 5
It’s always good when a title gets a sequel, wouldn’t you say? Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2 is indeed the sequel to the hit JRPG title, and sadly for the main characters, the fight that they fought so hard to win…didn’t end.
Because once again they must head to war within their tank, and they’re going to have to face even MORE threats than they did before.
The sequel enhances in every major way. Including improving the battle system, the events system, how you get to interact with one another, and more!
#6 Mon-Yu
- Developer: Experience Inc.
- Publisher: Aksys Games
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows
- Release date: September 21, 2023
Video games can take inspiration from many things, and in the context of Mon-Yu, it’s taking inspiration from the Wizardry games that came out before them.
In this first-person JRPG title (not something you hear every day), you will create your own character and then go out into a series of dungeons in order to defeat a set of seven demon kings.
You’ll get to form your own team as well, and then take them to the dungeons to fight against hordes of monsters and get your victory.
#5 Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
- Release date: March 3, 2023
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X and Series S, PlayStation 5
- Developers: Team Ninja, Koei Tecmo
- Publishers: Koei Tecmo, KOEI TECMO AMERICA Corporation
Video games have used the various stories of the Chinese Three Kingdoms in a variety of ways, and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty will be no different. In this title, you’ll play as a nameless soldier who finds himself in a version of China where demons have overrun the nation. Now, he must fight back against them all using his weapons and martial arts skills in order to bring peace to the land.
It won’t be easy though, your enemies will challenge you in a variety of ways, and you’ll need to fight back with variations on the “Five Phases” to overcome and awaken new power! Will you be able to save your homeland?
#4 Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society
- Developer: Nippon Ichi Software
- Release date: February 14, 2023
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 5
- Publishers: NIS America, Nippon Ichi Software
Dungeon crawlers are a very popular kind of JRPG, and there are many franchises who take part in that kind of style. Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society is the latest in one franchise to go and do that.
You are a spirit in this game, and are tasked by Madame Marta to head into a deep labyrinth in order to find pieces of art. Thankfully for you though, you won’t be alone in your task. You’ll have “puppets” that are infused with souls and be able to use them in order to fight off the monsters that lie within the dungeons.
A massive exploration and fighting JRPG awaits you, are you up to the challenge?
#3 The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure
- Release date: Mar 14, 2023
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita
- Developers: Nihon Falcom, PH3 GmbH, Artdink
- Publishers: NIS America, Nippon Ichi Software, Clouded Leopard Entertainment Inc.
The Legend of Heroes saga is one that many know well, and if you were a fan of the previous title in Trials From Zero, you’ll definitely need to get The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure.
In this title, the Special Support Section has gotten fame from their efforts of the previous title. They get new members, new gear, and more. But, they have little time to rest, as new threats from all sides of their city-state are coming, and the events that unfold will shape the future forever!
So join up with Lloyd Bannings once again to witness the end of the Crossbell Arc!
#2 Persona 4 Golden
- Release date: 2023 Modern Platforms
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X and Series S
- Developers: Atlus, P Studio, iXIT Corporation, PREAPP PARTNERS
- Publishers: Atlus, Sega, Atlus USA, SEGA of America
While it’s true that Persona 5 was the game that finally made the Persona franchise “mainstream” and beloved by critics and the public as a whole, Persona 4 Golden is still hailed by many fans as the best of the franchise. So now you can get to experience yourself why that is.
In the game, a small town is rocked by a set of murders, and now, your protagonist and his friends will go on a journey that’ll test them in various ways. This is a true JRPG coming-of-age story mixed with incredible battle elements that makes the whole experience worthwhile. So don’t miss out.
#1 Final Fantasy XVI
- Release date: June 22, 2023
- Publisher: Square Enix
- Platform: PlayStation 5
- Developers: Creative Business Unit III, SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.
Welcome to the world of Valisthea, a place that is said to be “blessed” due to entities known as the “Mothercrystals”. But while these crystals can grant blessings, not everything is what it appears, and with a darkness known as the Blight threatening everything, an unlikely hero must rise up to both free the worlds, and get revenge.
Yes, Final Fantasy XVI is not going to be like all the other Final fantasy games you’ve played, this is going to be a very dark and mature title with a different kind of battle system. As such, this is one you’ll want to play for yourself just so you can see what the game will be like as a whole.
Disclaimer: This article was updated on 11/3/23 as we continue to adjust this list with new entries or remove games due to delays or failure to captivate audiences.
