TheXbox brandhas never been known for having a wealth of JRPGs. This improved slightly with each console generation, to the point where Xbox One had big names like Final Fantasy 15 and Kingdom Hearts 3. With us already being years into the Xbox Series S/X’s lifecycle, it is sad to say that it is missing a lot of recent great JRPGs that the PS5 and Nintendo Switch have received.
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Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Final Fantasy 16, and even remasters like Tactics Ogre Reborn are so far completely absent from the newest Xbox systems. There is certainly a greater wealth of JRPGs if you look into the backward compatible titles from the Xbox 360 and Xbox One that also have their own enhancements, but for this list, we’re looking at games that have a dedicated version for the Xbox Series X and S.
6Yakuza: Like A Dragon
It seems like with every generation Microsoft tries to nab some exclusivity to bring JRPG fans over to them.Yakuza: Like a Dragonhad a strange release schedule, coming out on PS4 at the same time but being a “next-gen exclusive” to Xbox Series X|S for several months.
While slight visual upgrades and faster load times are nice, the enhanced version of the seventh main Yakuza game is not a giant technological leap. Regardless of what console you play on, you are getting a bonkers, flippant, and yet sincerely emotional modern JRPG adventure.
5DioField Chronicle
Tactical RPGs have been on the rise in recent years. While older franchises keep the traditional style alive with newer entries, new IPs come and bring new twists to the formula. DioField Chronicle does just this. It is not grid-based like other RPGs of its ilk from Square Enix. Instead, it lets players freely run around the battlefield and attack in real-time.
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you’re able to always freeze gameplay, however.Like Final Fantasy Tactics and Tactics Ogre: Reborn, the story is filled with political intrigue. It is not considered the best of the genre, but its unique style should pique the interest of any fan of the genre.
4Star Ocean: The Divine Force
Star Ocean gamescome out less frequently than other long-running JRPG franchises like Dragon Quest. It also is a more niche series overall. This entry, which was launched in 2022, comes after a six-year break in releases, so it had quite a lot to live up to.
The gameplay and story were said to be satisfactory, but technically it failed to impress, especially considering it came out on Xbox Series X|S and PS5. It is a good game for fans of the genre, but probably not good for newcomers.
3Elden Ring
Elden Ringis certainly the outlier on this list, but it still is an RPG from a Japanese developer, albeit one whose games are so unique that it invented a new genre. FromSoftware’s games are considered extremely difficult, but a lot of people forget that these are RPGs.
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You can level up and improve your statsto soften the challenge or use tools at your disposal for an advantage. Elden Ring takes advantage of this way more than its predecessors. Because of its open-world design, you can always leave tough battles for later. Explore, level up, find new armor, and upgrade your equipment to become more powerful. With time, previously impossible battles become a piece of cake. This helps makes Elden Ring a great game for newcomers to the genre.
2Persona 5 Royal
Persona games are long even by the standards of turn-based JRPGs. The original release of Persona 5 will take you anywhere between 80 and 100 hours to beat.Persona 5: Royaladds a solid 20 hours of gameplay on top of that. This is not just DLC either. If you played Persona 5 already, you have to beat Royal all over again to access the new content. That’s a tall order, but plenty of fans were more than willing to do so since they loved the game so much.
The series has long been associated with PlayStation, but Persona 5 Royal finally came out on Xbox Series X|S, giving more gamers to see what is so special about this title.While it’s extremely long,taking place during a school year at least gives it some solid structure so it rarely feels aimless.
1Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core Reunion
Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core originally came out on the PSPand tells Zack Fair’s storyprior to the events of the original Final Fantasy 7. With the remake series, it only made sense for this game to see a remaster eventually. Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core Reunion is a huge graphical overhaul of the previously handheld title. Though it looks beautiful, the gameplay is almost exactly the same as the original release.
WithFinal Fantasy 7 Remakestill lacking any representation on Xbox, it was surprising to see this game also hit the Xbox Series X|S. It is hard to see anyone who isn’t a Final Fantasy 7 fan jumping into this, but maybe it is just what they need to pique their interest and play the other games in the series.
