In the past few years,JRPGshave been having a resurgence in the mainstream. OK, not mainstream compared to insane blockbusters, but still, the genre is getting more of the spotlight than before.
Even though there aren’t as many distinct JRPGs from different developers being released as in the PS1 days - and let’s face it, that’s something happening across the whole industry - we fans of the genre are eating well.
There are so many stellar titles being released nowadays by industry giants as well as our beloved and dreamy indie developers, who always bring ingenuity and creativity to the table, that I can’t complain. Luckily, there’s more to come.
In this list, I’ll show you 10 upcoming JRPGs you should keep on your radar, from releases dropping in 2025 to those that don’t have a fixed date yet, but you should already slap on your wishlist.
10Forge of the Fae
From Chained Echoes' Publisher
Datadyne LLC
PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Release Date
Forge of the Faeis a JRPG with all the trademarks of an indie: gorgeous pixel art, turn-based combat with a twist, a unique setting inspired by Celtic folklore, and the earnestness of an indie developer.
InForge of the Fae, we take up the mantle of Fiora, an inventor who sets out on a journey to solve mysterious disappearances. She does so with the power of her Mechanical Faerie and by tapping into the world of the Fae with the Crystal System.
The Crystal System is a feature - if I understood the Kickstarter page correctly - which allows magic and skills to be equipped on the characters. Depending on the setup, we can unleash new combos by mixing the abilities.
At first glance, it seemed to me thatForge of the Faewould be a cozy indie JRPG, but it didn’t have anything that would justify a time investment. That is, until Deck13 nabbed its publishing rights. Deck13 also publishedCrossCodeandChained Echoes, two bangers. So ifForge of the Faehas the stamp of approval from this publisher, then it’s worth keeping tabs on.
9Lost Hellden
Gorgeous Hand-Painted Game
Artisan Studios
PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, PC
I came acrossLost Helldenback when artists were feeling threatened by the rising use of AI to create Ghibli-inspired portraits (shame on you) or any other kind of stolen work from true artists.
The main hook forLost Hellden’s promotion was how theJRPG is a unique, hand-painted game from Artisan Studios. You can tell from screenshots and trailers how stunning this unprecedented art style is. Characters, scenery, and even the animations look like they were made in a living watercolor, giving the title a jaw-dropping personality.
Combat also brings innovation. Once you enter a battle, you have two phases. The first is the action phase, where you may pummel the enemy freely, and they won’t fight back. Then, as soon as your actions are exhausted, it’s the reaction phase, where enemies strike, and we have to dodge, parry, or counterattack.
You have the possibility of extending the action phase or even stunning the enemy, forcing the player to rely on strategies instead of button-smashing. On paper, it sounds really cool and a refreshing take on staple action gameplay. Hopefully,Lost Helldenwill be released this year, and we can experience this novelty firsthand.
8Edge Of Memories
A New Entry In The Edge Of Series
Edge of Memories
Are you familiar withEdge of Eternity? An epic turn-based JRPG whose battles take place in grids. Well, anyway, the developer Midgar Studio is cooking up a new game calledEdge of Memories, bringing the same fantastic and colorful style to the title, but now as anaction-based JRPG.
Two things caught my eye inEdge of Memories: the colorful and lively world that is constantly altered by the Corrosion, which we see reflected in our journey, and the action combat that presents an ideal pace where you can tell what’s happening and react accordingly, whether dodging or chaining skills to unleash combos.
Edge of Memoriesis led by the Soul Whisperer Eline, who unleashes a power within her capable of controlling the Corrosion and finds herself tasked with saving the world. That is, if she doesn’t succumb to the Corrosion first. I believe it warrants a wishlist, don’t you? Yeah, lets wishlist it together.
7Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles
Fully-Voiced Durai Report
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles
If you’re one of the players who could never get far inFinal Fantasy Tacticsbecause of its difficulty, but always wanted to know the buzz surrounding it, your time has come. The enhanced version,Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles,brings new quality-of-life features tothe tactical JRPG, as well as the accessible new Squire difficulty.
I playedFinal Fantasy Tacticsback on PS1, and my experience was so striking that I still have vivid memories to this day, especially of the gameplay.
In Square’s spinoff, the tactical gameplay is based on grids, and we control each character as their turn comes. Every member can take on a Job, and we can heavily customize them with different abilities. I still remember my Monk with Dual Wield punching Red Chocobos into oblivion.
I admit my biggest struggle was with the lore. Intricately political with sprinkles of heresy and fantasy, it’s hard to follow every beat if you miss a story cue. Luckily,The Ivalice Chronicleswill come with a new feature called State of the Realm, which makes it easier to keep track of characters, lore developments, and the whole stupendous narrative.
6SacriFire
Mix And Match Of PS1’s Finest JRPGs
Pixelated Milk
I still need to meet someone else who playedRegalia: Of Men and Monarchs, a tactical JRPG full of heart, comedy, and good intentions that gets the job done. The game, however, made me pay close attention to developer Pixelated Milk, especially when they announcedSacriFire.
According to the developer,SacriFireis a marriage betweenVagrant Story,Xenogears, and other 90s JRPGs. With a 2.5D visual presentation where pixel art characters traverse a dynamic 3D world, and a soundtrack by Motoi Sakuraba,SacriFirehas already grabbed my attention and that of other indie JRPG enthusiasts.
TheVagrant Storyinspiration can be seen in combat, where we can target individual enemy body parts and string combos to deal more damage. There’s also a movement system similar to what we saw inValkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria.
The story ofSacriFireis protagonized by Ezekiel Ridan, a priest who tries to eliminate demonic threats but sees his faith shaken through revelations. The JRPG promises moral complexities that will subvert standard tropes with a lovable cast of characters. I hope the game drops as scheduled without further delays.
5Pokémon Legends: Z-A
It’s A New Era For Pokémon Battles
Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Well, it’sPokémon. Thanks for reading! But yeah, jokes aside, if there’s oneJRPG seriesin the world that doesn’t need an introduction, it’s this one. Yet, I feel likePokémon Legendscould use a bit more love so that the mainline steps out of its comfort zone.
Pokémon Legends: Z-Atakes trainers back to Lumiose in the Kalos region, as seen inPokémon X and Y. Since it’s part of theLegendsspinoff, the biggest change here is in combat, now more active than ever and quite reminiscent ofXenoblade Chronicles.
Trainers wander around Lumiose, and when running into a wild Pokémon, the battle kicks in seamlessly. Instead of selecting commands in a turn-based fight, now clashes are in real-time. We pick one of our Pokémon’s four moves from a bar, and once executed, they go into cooldown. The trainer can’t just stand still, having to dodge enemies’ AoE attacks.
The story involves Lumiose City going through urban redevelopment by the Quasartico Inc. corporation to make it habitable for both humans and Pokémon. While our exact role in the middle of all that hasn’t been revealed, we must take part in the Z-A Royale competition at night and climb the ranks to have a wish granted.
4Digimon Story: Time Stranger
Finally, A Well-Funded Digimon
Digimon Story: Time Stranger
Now that I’ve done my fiduciary duty and talked aboutPokémon Legends: Z-A, it’s time to move on to the big leagues. Gameplay-wise, I’m kidding, because even though I preferDigimontoPokémon, we know Bandai’s investment is smaller. Yet, despite all that,Digimon Story: Time Strangerlooks to be the franchise’s most ambitious JRPG by a long shot.
As someone who recently playedDigimon Story: Hacker’s Memoryand loved everything Digivolution-related, I recognize the series never had a worthy budget. But that all seems about to change now inTime Stranger, an adventure where we travel eight years into the past after witnessing an explosion that wipes out an entire city.
Roaming between the Human World and the Digital World, the trailers show Bandai’s dedication to this new title. We’ll finally get fully-fledged cutscenes! Battles aren’t half bad either, with top-notch animations and modern graphics.
At the end of the day, my biggest joy and time sink is hunting down every single Digivolution. SinceDigimon Story: Time Strangerwill feature more than 450 Digimon, I can already see my playtime hitting the triple digits and my fun factor going through the roof.
3Octopath Traveler 0
The HD-2D Supremacy Stands
Octopath Traveler 0
Octopath Traveleris the go-to series for those who complain Square Enix doesn’t make turn-based JRPGs anymore. Pioneer of the HD-2D graphic style, it’s impressive how Team Asano keeps shipping one game after another, keeping that old-school Square essence alive, whether withBravely Defaultor this series.
Octopath Traveler 0, as Square itself mentioned, will reuse plenty of assets from the mobile gameOctopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent, a prequel to the first game with a new cast. That said,Octopath Traveler 0will also be a prequel, featuring some characters introduced in CotC along with new ones and a custom-created protagonist.
The new title brings back the series staples, like the Break and Boost combat system and Path Actions, which influence exploration. Beyond character creation, there’s also a new Town Building mechanic to restore our hometown.
Most impressive of all,Octopath Traveler 0was announced just two weeks ago and is already set to release by the end of the year, catching fans off guard in the best way.
2Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake
Erdrick’s Adventure Continues
Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake
Still on the topic of “Square Enix makes more turn-based games than action,” we’ve got the remake ofDragon Quest I & IIcoming as the duologyDragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake. Both continue the storyline of Erdrick, which narratively begins in the prequelDragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, a JRPG whose sales even exceeded Square Enix’s sky-high expectations.
The firstDragon Questremake will have us journey after the Dragonlord and rescue a kidnapped princess. I wondered if Square Enix would keep the solo character throughout the whole game, and the developer confirmed yes, which offers a simpler and shorter adventure from the forefathers of JRPGs.
Meanwhile, the remake of the second game will bring gameplay updates, like the fourth playable party member, the Princess of Cannock. It’s unknown what impact her presence will have on the narrative, but Yuji Horii said the originalDragon Quest IIhad a scrapped ending featuring her, which took a really dark turn. We’ll have to wait and see if they go down that road or not.
Either way, if you’re into the mostold-school JRPGsout there, you should giveDragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remakea shot, especially if you played the remake of the third game and want to see how the story continues.
1Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter
Best Girl Estelle Is Back
Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter
Die-hard JRPG fans have probably heard of - or even played - theTrailsseries, also known by its prefixThe Legend of Heroes. I always felt overwhelmed about diving into it, considering the whole “same storyline that spans across multiple mainlines,” even though each arc has a somewhat self-contained story.
I finally caved, and I’m glad I did. The world-building, the narrative, the characters, everything here comes together to create a wonderful story in the JRPG world, and mind you, I’ve only played the first twoTrails in the Sky. Still, Nihon Falcom probably knows there are many others who’d love to jump into the series but are wary of starting with a 2004 game stuck on Steam.
EnterTrails in the Sky 1st Chapter, a fully fledged remake ofTrails in the Sky. The JRPG will have modern 3D graphics, a new battle system that mixes action and turn-based, fully voiced dialogue now in English, a new localization, and many other quality-of-life improvements for players used to contemporary games.
Toshihiro Kondo expects the remake to bring new fans to theTrailsfranchise and allow him to keep remaking the older titles. I’m rooting for that too, because even though it’sone of the densest JRPGsin the industry, it’s worth every penny and every hour for the most hardcore fans of the genre.
