Summary
JRPGs have become well knownfor their intricate stories, whether it’s a tale of political intrigue or war. This expansive genre has explored some dark, complex themes over the decades and continues to do so in contemporary times. Its long, ongoing history dating all the way back to the 1980s and 1990s is a fascinating one, and it has become the bastion for amazing storytelling in an industry full of incredible narratives.
Games likeFinal FantasyandXenogearshave done their part to examine the horrors of war and how it affects people, while more off-beat titles likeShin Megami TenseiandShadow Heartshave delved into the fragility of life. These games have explored some pretty mature topics, including the likes of child soldiers, the end of the world, and the difficult journey of parenthood. And many of them have done so with class, presenting questions about morality and faith in fascinating ways.
Using what they learned to create the forgotten PS1 masterpieceKoudelka, developers Sacnoth crafted a sequel for the PS2 known asShadow Hearts. Carrying on fromKoudelka,Shadow Heartsis a gothic horror JRPGset in 1913 and follows a man named Yuri attempting to rescue a young girl named Alice.
Shadow Heartsuses elements of cosmic horror and classic literature, feeling like a vintage Hammer film come to life. Violence is handed out frequently inShadow Hearts, especially to the innocent, as one of the key themes of the game is the end of innocence. It is a fabulous JRPG that is deserving of a remaster, as it would fit well in today’s landscape of horror RPGs.
After using the impressive hardware of the PS1 to power its seventh mainline entry, Squaresoft opted to takeFinal Fantasyinto even darker territory with the eighth iteration. WithFinal Fantasy 8,Square told the tale of SeeD, an army of child soldiers trained to fight against evil. Through its 40-hour campaign,Final Fantasy 8explores the themes of war and child endangerment, as SeeD’s destined battle with a sorceress from the future named Ultimecia forms the centerpiece of the story starting on disc two.
Ultimecia has possessed a womanin the present day named Edea Kramer, and the knowledge of her imminent defeat has driven her mad and set her on a collision course with SeeD. Squall and the party travel a dangerous journey throughFF8, one that sees them confront childhood trauma and a world where adults are difficult to trust. It is a dark, twisted story of fate and ruin, one that is still absolutely fantastic to play today.
Square’sIvalice Alliancesubseries is one oftheir greatest creations, as thisFinal Fantasyspin-off has produced some incredible games over the years. One of the best examples isVagrant Story, a dark tale of intrigue and death that is one of the PS1’s most remarkable titles.
Vagrant Storyis steeped in political machinations, as Riskbreaker Ashley Riot becomes caught up in a vast conspiracy thriller involving the murder of a duke. Exploring the decrepit catacombs of Lea Monde, Ashley also clashes with a bizarre cult known as Mullenkamp and one of PS1’s most sinister villains, Sydney Losstarot. Its stirring examination of death and complex, sometimes murderous, family dynamics, is a key reason forVagrant Story’scult following.
If any JRPG franchise knows about tackling the darkness,it’sShin Megami Tensei, the demon-hunting series that debuted in 1987 and has become one of the industry’s most popular titles. WithShin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne, Atlus produced one of the franchise’s darkest and most chilling entries.Nocturneis set mere moments after the world-ending event known as Conception, where a young man known as the Demi-fiend is tasked with steering the course of human history and battling a cult known as the Ring of Gaea.
It envisions a world where the bad guys win before the game even starts. Everyone outside the Shinjuku hospital is killed following Conception, and the remainder of the game is the Demi-fiend attempting to find a new path forward. It is a bleak game, exploring ancient religious themes and Japanese mythology, as the Demi-fiend acts as a sort of conduit for the fate of humanity itself. This outstanding JRPG was recently remastered for modern hardware, making it easy to revisit today.
A thrilling blend ofFinal FantasyandResident Evil,Parasite Eveis set in New Yorkand stars NYPD officer Aya Brea. Described as “The Cineamatic RPG,“Parasite Eveis a stark exploration of motherhood and the fragility of humanity.
Aya’s journey takes her on an emotional ride through New York, where she’s forced to confront her own past and the apocalyptic future of human existence. Standing between the imminent end of the world and Eve, the literal mother of humanity, Aya faces escalating destruction as she attempts to survive. It is filled with disturbing imagery and a story that still resonates today, as it asks questions regarding the true purpose of humanity that are still being answered today.
After a long, troubled development process that saw it get canceled,Mother 3eventually resurfaced onthe Game Boy Advance and became one of its most stellar releases. Set in the appropriately named Nowhere Islands,Mother 3is a textbook example of what makes this outstanding series so good. It seamlessly hides a dark, unnerving tale underneath its colorful, pixelated graphics and funky music.
Mother 3explores the crumbling foundation of nature, its perversion by technology, and the encroaching hand of corporate overreach, as twin brothers Claus and Lucas embark on a journey fraught with all sorts of danger that feels decidedly impersonal and mechanical. It effortlessly tackles themes like grief and trauma, but does so in a way that doesn’t detract from its heart and sense of humor. Sadly,Mother 3is still without a Western release, but playing the excellent fan patch is still a worthy way of experiencing this classic.
