RELATED: The Best JRPGs You Can Play On The Switch (According To Metacritic)

As a result, it’s easy for gamers not familiar with the genre to ignore most JRPGs as being antiquated without realizing that developers have come a long way in modernizing the systems in three decades. Even the JRPGs that implemented more action-based combat systems are often misunderstood by some Western gamers because of the similarities in the menu systems. However, for those willing to take a chance, JRPGs have some of the best fighting systems in any genre and are worth exploring.

Updated January 13, 2022 by Michael Llewellyn: Thanks to a stellar year in 2021 for JRPGs more gamers and fans are being introduced to just how good a JRPG can be. The combat systems have often been seen as overly complex or even boring by some fans.

However, look hard enough and one can find a variety of JRPGs with amazing fighting systems, from fast-paced modified turn-based systems to fighting systems that resemble action-adventure games like the Devil May Cry series or Bayonetta. Last year brought some spectacular entries in the genre and it’s only fitting that this list gets updated to reflect the amazing battle systems on display.

13 Scarlet Nexus

Released: 2021 Developer: Bandai Namco Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S

An original RPG from Namco, Scarlet Nexus impressed fans and critics alike after its release in 2021. The visually stunning action RPG was developed by a team that created Tales of Vesperia, Code Vein, and the God Eater series.

The combat system is reminiscent of a Devil May Cry game and especially opens up as one unlocks more abilities as the game progresses. Adding to this are the character’s psychokinetic powers that can be used to throw around large objects like cars and debris to create some spectacular combos.

12 Dragon Quest 11: Echoes Of An Elusive Age

Released: 2017 Developer: Square Enix Platform: 3DS, PC, PS4, Switch, Stadia, and Xbox One

Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age is the most recent entry in one of the most iconic JRPG games of all time. The game has kept the series’ traditional turn-based combat but modernized it enough so that the game feels familiar yet fresh at the same time.

The battles are fast-paced and simple by design so that even those new to traditional JRPGs won’t have much trouble. The Pep meter mechanic provides stat boosts to individual characters. In addition, when fully charged each character will get special moves called Pep Powers which when activated cause incredible damage.

11 Chrono Trigger

Released: 1995 Developer: Square Enix Platform: Android, DS, iOS, i-Mode, PC, PS1, and SNES

Released in 1995 on the Super Nintendo, Chrono Trigger is widely regarded as one of the greatest RPGs of all time. It was developed by a JRPG dream team of Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest developers, artists, and composers like Hironobu Sakaguchi, Yuji Horii, Akira Toriyama, and Nobuo Uematsu.

RELATED: JRPGs On Steam To Play If You Love Final Fantasy 7 Remake

The game was one of the first in the genre to feature visible enemies on screen and used a modified version of Final Fantasy’s Active Time Battle system. Special attacks and magic are handled by the game’s Tech system which allows the characters to fight strategically and execute cooperative techniques for Double and Triple attacks.

10 Shadow Hearts: Covenant

Released: 2004 Developer: Nautilus Platform: PS2

The Shadow Hearts series is set in an alternate universe version of the First World War. The second entry is often considered to be the best in terms of its Lovecraftian story and the balanced combat system.

Combat in Shadow Hearts is turn-based but the character’s actions are determined by their stats. In addition, it implements a sanity system where the player will lose control of their characters if the meter reaches its maximum. What makes Shadow Hearts unique, though, is the Judgement Ring, which requires timing and skill. It also allows players to build up combos by picking attack magic sequences building up to more devastating attacks.

9 Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne

Released: 2003 Developer: Atlus Platform: PC, PS2, PS4, and Switch

Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne was released on the PlayStation 2 and is still considered to be one of the best JRPGs of all time. The game was set in a post-apocalyptic modern-day Tokyo, which was a stark contrast to the usual fantasy setting found in the genre.

Additionally, Nocturne’s turn-based battle system was tough but fair and required strategy and quick thinking. It uses a system where the player is required to find and exploit their enemy’s weaknesses. Doing so will gift the player with additional turns in battle but missing or getting blocked will also cost them multiple turns, leaving the player vulnerable to attack. The HD remaster of Nocturnewas released in 2021 and despite its age still has a lot to offer the hardcore JRPG fan.

8 Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age

Released: 2006 Developer: Square Enix Platform: PC, PS2, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One

From the fourth entry to the twelfth the Final Fantasy series used a moderated version of the Active Time Battle System. It was ultimately a traditional turn-based combat system that forced players to act quickly on the battlefield.

RELATED: Games With Some Of The Best Melee Combat

Final Fantasy 12’s Gambit system was a huge departure for the series and in many ways resembled western RPGs like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. The player is tasked with programming their party member’s behaviors in combat to focus on their enemy’s weaknesses or stay on top of health bars with health potions or magic.

7 Persona 5

Released: 2016 Developer: Atlus Platform: PS3 and PS4

Released on the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 in 2016, Persona 5 is a spin-off from the Shin Megami Tensei series and is regarded as one of the best JRPGs developed for both systems. The game won awards and critical acclaim for its story, characterization, and incredible art style that manages to be one of the most striking looking games on both systems.

Persona 5’s turn-based combat system is a culmination of Persona 3 and Persona 4’s best features. In typical Shin Megami Tensei fashion, battles require strategy by focusing on elemental vulnerabilities and making the most of player turns. The knockdown system gifts the combatants with additional turns and of course, the implementation of demons via the game’s Persona system is addictive as it ever was.

6 The Legend Of Heroes: Trails Of Cold Steel Series

Released: 2013 Developer: Falcom Platform: PC, PS Vita, PS3, PS4, and Switch

The Legend Of Heroes: Trails Of Cold Steel is a series of JRPGs connected to the Trails in the Sky series, although aside from allusions to certain characters and locations it isn’t a requirement to enjoy entries in the Cold Steel story arc.

RELATED: Every Game In The Legend Of Heroes Franchise, Ranked By The Number Of Playable Characters

Cold Steel’s battle system is turn-based but also allows characters to move freely on the battlefield. Each character has their attacks, weapons, S-Craft skills, and magic Arts which are unlocked by equipping Quartz. The most interesting feature is the Tactical Link System and the player can unlock special offensive and defensive moves by making sure certain characters are bonding either at school or in their free time.

5 Star Ocean 3: Till The End Of Time

Released: 2004 Developer: Tri-Ace Platform: PS2

The Star Ocean series is one of the few JRPGs that implement science fiction and a certain amount of space travel by exploring new worlds. The games were developed by Tri-Ace, whose founding members worked on Tales of Phantasia, and just like the Tales series, Star Ocean uses a real-time combat system.

RELATED: PS1 Games That Got Remakes (& What They Were Released For)

Star Ocean: Till The End of Time is widely considered to be the best in the series but combat is largely the same throughout all five games. The battle system feels more like a beat-em-up than a traditional JRPG, so just about anyone can pick it up and seamlessly combine physical and magic attacks. In addition, players can select any character in battle or they can customize a party member’s A.I. similarly to Final Fantasy 12. With a brand new Star Ocean game on the way now would be the perfect time to revisit one of the series’ best entries.

4 Tales Of Graces F

Released: 2012 Developer: Namco Tales Studio Platform: PS3

The Tales of series is the third biggest-selling RPG series in Japan behind Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy. Unlike those games though, it does not use a traditional turn-based battle system. Instead, it uses a real-time action system called the Linear Motion Battle System (LMBS), which works similarly to the Star Ocean series.

While most of the Tales games play similarly it is Tales of Grace f on the PlayStation 3. Battles are fast-paced and fast attacks also known as A-Artes can be combined with stronger B-Artes and chained together with a full Chain Capacity meter for some unique attacks. In addition, players can switch between characters at any time during combat as well as move freely on the battlefield. However, free movement can come at the cost of Chain Capacity forcing gamers to fight strategically.

3 Tales Of Arise

Released: 2021 Developer: Namco Tales Studio Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S

Released in 2021, Tales of Arise managed to revamp the Tales formula without losing the series’ identity in the process. The recent entry in the series secured the RPG of the Year at the Game of the Year awards, thanks to its accessible mechanics, excellent story, and battle system. It introduced a new generation of fans to what is one of the best JRPG series available.

Borrowing elements from Tales of Graces while adding the flashy attacks and combos from Tales of Berseria, Tales of Arise stripped away some of the overly complex mechanics while maintaining its depth. Combat is a highlight and is never boring or repetitive and represents the kind of overhaul the long-running series needed.

2 Ys 9: Monstrum Nox

Released: 2021 Developer: Falcom Platform: PC, PS4, Switch, and Stadia

Ys 9: Monstrum Nox released in the West in 2021. The action RPG series uses a darker tone than its predecessors but builds upon the foundations laid by Ys 8’s combat system.

The combat system maintains its accessible fighting system for action fans while maintaining the complexities expected of a JRPG. As with its predecessor, players can switch between party members on the fly, making combat exciting and fast-paced throughout.

1 The Grandia HD Collection

Released: 2019 Developer: Game Arts Platform: PC and Switch

Until the recent Grandia HD Collection on the Nintendo Switch, the series hasn’t seen a new entry in the mainline series since Grandia III in 2005 on the PlayStation 2. However, the series has always been heralded as having one of the best turn-based systems in JPRGs.

The series turn-based system functions in real-time and all the characters move and run within a limited space. Additionally, all the characters and enemies appear as icons queued an action bar at the bottom of the screen. Players can choose their means of attack when their icon reaches the “ACT” mark on the right side of the bar. It’s simple to pick up but the execution makes for complex and exciting battles that never get old.

MORE: Best Combat Systems In Open World RPGs, Ranked