Summary
The JRPG genre is undergoing a resurgence that fans love to witness. After languishing in mediocrity during the seventh generation of gaming, Japanese role-playing games have become all the rage once again and let fans enjoy incredible experiences that whisk them on epic adventures time and time again.
Some developers who are impressed by the success of these titles want fans to enjoy more with post-launch updates and re-releases that do a great job of making these games relevant again. Definitive editions, story additions, and gameplay improvements are just a few ways in which some great JRPGs make the most of their post-launch updates.
The World Ends With Youis one of the most unique JRPGs of all time, using the dual screen of the DS for some excellent combat. Leaving this system and appearing on other hardware meant that the combat’s best qualities had to be sacrificed, but this was made up for with a new control scheme and additional story content.
TheFinal Remixof this game on the Nintendo Switch makes the most of its touchscreen while also adding a whole new story chapter for fans to check out. Reception toA New Hopehas been fairly mixed but that should take nothing away from its attempts to build on the story of this unique game while making its combat more accessible than ever before.
Octopath Traveler 2is a near-perfect sequel that improves on most elements from the first game while addressing its many complaints. Players can finally take on a final boss who is slowly built up in each narrative, making for an epic conclusion.
However, fans who want to take on harder battles can do the same with the Extra Battles feature that was added in version 1.1.0. It lets players take on two parties comprised of heroes from the first game. It’s a great addition and devilishly hard, challenging players who thought that their journey to becomestronger inOctopath Traveler 2ended with Galdera’s defeat.
Shin Megami Tensei 5is easily the most accessible game in a series known forits hard-as-nails battles. However, Atlus felt like they could do more justice to the game’s battle mechanics with an updated release, and that’s precisely what happened.
Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeanceis the best way to check out this JRPG masterpiece and arrives with extra story content that’s a joy to uncover. Players who love thePersonagames and want to see the parent series that birthed this popular spinoff will have a great time withVengeanceonce they get used to the higher difficulty.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2was a decent entry in the series but failed to live up to the hype for many fans. However, Monolith Soft took this as a challenge and released an additional piece of story content for the game which is precisely what fans wanted all along.
The narrative ofTorna – The Golden Countryis written brilliantly and boasts all the qualities that some fans felt were missing from the original game. The gameplay may be more of the same, but fans don’t have to sit through endless tutorials before getting into the meat of the action this time.
Persona 4’s release on the PlayStation Vitaallowed Atlusto build upon its systems instead of pulling back because of the portable console’s power. This helped establish a formula that the company would take for its games ever since, withPersona 4 Goldenserving as the definitive edition of one of the best games in the series.
The small town setting of Inaba does wonders for the game’s atmosphere, and gameplay improvements ensure that newer fans will have an easier time getting into this title. Players can unlock an additional dungeon too if they max out Marie’s Social Link as much as possible, adding to a runtime that was already pretty lengthy as is.
Final Fantasy 12was a major departure fromprevious games in the series, with everything from the combat to the presentation being bumped up a notch. The gameplay of this title was complex at the time but won’t appeal to modern fans, which is whyThe Zodiac Agewas a stroke of genius.
Adding a unique license board for each job and letting characters multiclass went a long way in making the gameplay more varied than ever before. Removing the FPS limitations and letting players speed up the action also helped and madeThe Zodiac Agethe best way to experienceFinal Fantasy 12’s epic story.
For the first time ever, aDragon Questgame managed to be a success outside of Japan. The eleventh mainline entry was so popular that Square Enix decided to release a definitive version on the Switch. It was jam-packed with so many features that the graphical downgrade was more than justified.
Along with various QoL changes that made the game’s systems less of a headache to interact with,Dragon Quest 11 Salso included a 2D mode that let players go through the entire game with a retro twist. It’s an impressive achievement that shows why fans loveDragon Quest 11to the moon and back.
Persona 5is one of the biggest hitsAtlus has ever developed, turning the series mainstream and cementing the fact that JRPGs were back and ready to blow people’s minds once again. It was only a matter of time before this title received theGoldentreatment, andPersona 5 Royaldidn’t disappoint.
The game featured a brand-new party member, an epilogue, improved gameplay mechanics, and new superbosses who could make players tear their hair out. It’s the best way to experience this JRPG masterpiece that single-handedly turned Atlus into the new king of the JRPG genre.
