Several highly anticipated Japanese role-playing games are releasing in 2015 and 2016. Titles like Persona 5, Xenoblade Chronicles X, and Final Fantasy XV, are some of the highest profile JRPGs in years and are rightfully warranting a lot of attention. But beyond these bigger games sits a strong slate of JRPGs worth checking out that might slip past you if you aren’t following them closely, such as this week’s Etrian Mystery Dungeon– a crossover between Etrian Odyssey and Mystery Dungeon.
Continue reading to learn more about 10 JRPGs that are worth following this year and the next.
Shin Megami Tensei Devil Survivor 2 Record Breaker
Developer: Atlus
Platform: 3DS
Release Date: May 5
Devil Survivor 2 Record Breaker is more than just a remake or port of the DS strategy RPG. Record Breaker adds full voice acting, streetpass functionality, and most importantly a new 30-hour epilogue called the Triangulum Arc. If you are eager to check out the new epilogue content, it is available right away. As for the original campaign, it chronicles how a group of high school kids and a secret government organization named JPs respond to demons invading Japan. You and your team summon your own demons to face off against the colossal Septentrione. In addition to the classic Shin Megami Tensei demon fusion system, a new demon auction system helps increase the size of your army. In both the original campaign and the new epilogue, the choices you make in conversations alter the course of the story and grant you bonuses in combat.
Operation Abyss New Tokyo Legacy
Developer: Kadokawa Games and Experience Inc
Platform: Vita
Release Date: June 9
From the creators of Demon Gaze, comes a new classic dungeon crawler that takes place in post-apocalyptic Tokyo. The dungeons in Operation Abyss are designed by hand and filled with traps to overcome. Unlike the fantasy monsters of Demon Gaze, you can expect mutant animals and demons often seemingly modified in deranged science experiments. Stronger variants of the standard monsters appear more frequently the longer you stay in the dungeon, but the tradeoff is that the loot becomes significantly better. Character growth in Operation Abyss is handled by using Code Rise to sync up with heroes from across history like Jeanne D’Arc. Strategy plays a big role in building your party, especially since you bring six characters into the dungeon with you at once. Early adopters can look forward to some free bonus DLC that should help them get started diving into the abyss.
Lord of Magna: Maiden Heaven
Developer: Marvelous
Platform: 3DS
Release Date: Spring
Created by the former Rune Factory team, Lord of Magna follows a man named Luchs, who runs the Famille Inn that has been passed down through the generations. While Luchs is eager to run the family business, he unfortunately can’t seem to get any guests. This changes during a routine crystal excavation when he discovers a fairy trapped in crystal named Charlotte who then comes to live with him. Charlotte is the first of many female fairies who come to live with Luchs, and by taking the time to talk with all of them during the downtime between missions Luchs gains new skills as his relationships deepen. Those skills come into play during the unique strategy battles where players need to line up their attacks to take out multiple enemies at once. In battle, enemy armies are scattered along the field and surround their leaders that constantly call in reinforcements. When it is your turn, the enemy you choose to hit is often sent flying into other enemies which takes them out too, similar to how pins topple into each other when hit with a bowling ball.
The Legend of Heroes Trails in the Sky Second Chapter
Developer: Nihon Falcom
Platform: Vita, PSP, PC
Release Date: Summer
The long awaited Second Chapter of Trails in the Sky is finally almost ready to release. This classic JRPG adventure picks up right after the dramatic cliffhanger from the first game, which I won’t spoil here. Second Chapter promises to be more than twice as long as the original because you explore both Liberl and a new neighboring country. Many of the strengths of the First Chapter still apply to the second. You once again follow Estelle Bright on her journey and many characters both new and old join her along the way. It is worth talking to the NPCs and inspecting everything, including the treasure chests you plunder, because the extraordinary amount of text in the game is expertly used to develop the characters and world. The battle system is a careful mix of careful positioning to make effective use of your super attacks sort of like Chrono Trigger and managing and disrupting turn order to gain bonuses. Considering Trails in the Sky is so story heavy, you will want to have finished the first game before starting the sequel. Also if you decide to play the sequel on the same platform, you can transfer your save file over to get some bonuses throughout the sequel.
Lost Dimension
Developer: Lancarse
Platform: PS3, Vita
Release Date: Summer
Lost Dimension is a strategy RPG with an interesting premise. Players start at what should be the end of the game, where they have gathered a party ready to take on the final boss. Suddenly one of your party members goes rogue, and you have to dispatch them. When you finally reach the boss, half your group turns on you, killing your chances of winning. As you work to rebuild your team across the story to take on the final boss again, various party members will continue to betray you, which means you lose all the investment you made in developing them. To mitigate these unfortunate circumstances you need to talk with your allies back at camp to deepen your relationships and eliminate potential traitors with your mind reading abilities. The traitors in each playthrough are randomized, so even on New Game Plus you must adapt your strategies depending on who remains in your party.
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