JRPGs are known for their vast, deep stories and compelling, engaging characters. Players who want a game that focuses on both style and substance, with clear art direction and an engaging narrative, will usually find at least a handful of JRPGs that suit their needs. Some of themost influential JRPGsof all time are those that have a solid combination of both a fantastic story and intricate gameplay mechanics.
There’s nothing more important in any JRPG than the party of characters. The group of adventurers, united by fate or circumstance, will carry players through their journey in expansive fantastical worlds or the maze-like streetsof urban fantasycities. A JRPG’s gameplay is only as good as its party, and in turn, a party is only as good as its classes. For players who want a JRPG with fantastic class systems, here are some titles to keep an eye on.
The class system inTriangle Strategyis more linear than other titles on this list, but thissatisfying, branching storyhas some well-detailed classes. They fill interesting niches, and offer great utility beyond simply dealing damage.
The Blacksmith Class is all about using the environment to trap or disorient enemies. Meanwhile, the Advisor class is all about restoring resources to keep other characters at their best. All the ‘supplementary’ classes in this game have valuable utility for the player as well.
The experience of moving through the classes is just as satisfyingas the classes themselvesinThree Houses.Shaping a student to grow and fill a particular role, such as a brutal unarmed fighter or powerful cavalry knight, is a rewarding process.
It gets even better towards late game, and the final classes of the game. Having a character’s game-long ambitions realized as a pegasus knight or a dark knight, for example, is narratively gratifying as well as mechanically gratifying, thanks to the sheer power these classes now have.
WhileDragon’s Dogma 2continuethe tradition of vocationsstarted in this game series,Dark Arisenhas a satisfying and varied approach to classes that simply feels right. The three major RPG archetypes of fighter, mage and thief each have hybrid classes and advanced specialist classes to help flesh them out. This helps the classes each fill a specific niche and purpose. It’s a great system that shows that it’s possible to have an amazing class system in a game without necessarily reinventing the wheel.
Reinventing the whole class system does sometimes help, however.Bravely Default 2is the definitive version ofthe fantastic job systemfirst established by its predecessor on the 3DS. That system is greatly expanded in this title.
This is Square Enix at their most creative with classes. The game introduces unique and interesting classes like the Gambler and the Hellknight, while allowing players to fluidly swap between them and carry along learned passives.
Anawe-inspiring HD-2D title,Octopath Traveler 2is an amazing JRPG. The first game felt more like a proof of concept, but Square Enix had the ambition to make a proper, bona fide JRPG in this stunning style with a great class system.
The main jobs for each character functionally define who they are and serve as a link to the role they serve in the story. However, the innovative balance that comes in this title is how sub-jobs can be given to each character for unparalleled customization. These include each of the eight main jobs, as well as four special jobs that players unlock through special circumstances.
An Excellent Party Building JRPG
Etrian Odyssey Nexus
The final Etrian installment on Nintendo 3DS.With more classes, characters, gameplay systems, and labyrinths than any other game in the series, Etrian Odyssey Nexus is the ultimate dungeon-crawling adventure.Create and customize characters from 19 playable classes, then take on the dangerous creatures of Lemuria’s labyrinths with your perfect party! With the ability to swap between four difficulty settings, auto-mapping settings, and a grand standalone story, series newcomers and experienced veterans alike are welcome.
TheEtrian Odysseyseries isnot known for being easy. But for players willing to challenge themselves with some of the most engaging and in-depth dungeon diving gameplay put to the screen,Nexusis the title for them.
Creating classes in this game is simple and fun. Every class has a huge variety of specialization options that can determine what role they fill in the tight-knit party of adventurers as they dive further into the game’s dungeons.
A classic title amongFinal Fantasygames,Final Fantasy 5has one of the most expansive class systems in a JRPG. And it accomplishes this without sacrificing any of the detail, quality, or individual attention afforded to each class. Every class and its elemental alignment fuse together in such an interesting way that making parties with a unique composition of roles becomes as entertaining as the driving story of the game itself.
Inspired by some of the greatest games in Altus' catalog,Metaphor: ReFantaziois quite possibly the magnum opus of Atlus' library. It represents the culmination of almost 30 years in the video game industry making high quality JRPGs.
Each character’s starting archetype and the ones they can swap into have depth, customization, and a unique design and identity. It completely subverts the typical RPG mainstays for something more unique to this game’s incredible identity.
