In the past few years, there’s been a resurgence of high-profileJRPGstaking the industry by storm, something that couldn’t make me happier.
Among these areseveral JRPG-inspired gamesthat, although not developed by Japanese developers, pay homage to and respect everything that made this genre so iconic.
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If you know five or more titles from this list, I’ve failed my mission.
But it’s not all roses within this genre. Some games never received the spotlight, or if they did, it was because they received harsh criticism from professional critics.
In this list, I’ll lay out the 10 worst JRPGs of the last decade according to OpenCritic. So if you have some trouble with the pickings, go take it up with them. I’m just the messenger.
I applied three criteria for the selection:
• At least seven critic reviews on OpenCritic.
• Released on a traditional gaming platform like a home console or PC.
• Not a shovelware title, meaning the developer at least tried to make a decent game.
10Rise Eterna
OpenCritic Score - 59
Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Xbox One
Release Date
July 23, 2025
I want to start this list with a question: why the hell do I have a platinum trophy inRise Eterna? Well, at least I can confidently say that this game’s critics' score is well-deserved.
Rise Eternaisa tactical JRPGin the same vein asFire Emblem, in that you only see miniatures of your army on the battlefield. When engaging enemies, a combat animation unfolds. Each character has their own abilities and attributes that can be improved by equipping gems.
At first glance,Rise Eternaappears to be a solid tactical game. However, the more I played it, the more it revealed its second-rateness and flaws. Battles always played out the same way, the story is as basic and uninteresting as it gets, and the characters had the depth of a puddle.
I didn’t reviewRise Eternaback then, but if I had, I would have given it a score similar to that of my fellow critics.
9Neptunia Virtual Stars
Neptunia Virtual Stars
Every time I read the wordNeptunia, my entire body shivers. It’s amazing how Idea Factory is still pumping out new installments in the franchise because, generally, none of them seem to perform relatively well.
Neptunia Virtual Starstried to bring some innovations to the series with third-person shooting gameplay mixed with hack ‘n slash, but failed to deliver. It gets stale fast, as does the story and every high-pitched character involved.
It’s a refreshing entry for old-timer fans, but not agood JRPG for newcomers.
The narrative delved into the world of Vtubers and attempted to bring something modern and relatable for its time. And well, if you like Idols, virtual YouTubers, and everything that comes with the package, I hope you have a blast withNeptunia Virtual Stars. No one will judge you.
8Dark Rose Valkyrie
OpenCritic Score - 58
Dark Rose Valkyrie
I feel bad addingDark Rose Valkyriein this sequence, because it’s another Idea Factory game. But remember, it’s not my call or fault, but rather the consensus of highly qualified critics in the gaming industry.
Dark Rose Valkyriehas an intriguing premise. The JRPG features a visual novel storytelling format, incorporating investigation elements similar to those seen inAce Attorney, sprinkled with some turn-based combat. Unfortunately, it never fulfills its ambitions. It’s a mixed bag of “trying to do everything, but not excelling in any aspect of it” sort of thing.
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The game’s maps are some of the most uninspired I’ve ever seen, the story has a decent script but stereotypical characters, and the combat, boasting an intriguing progression system that lets you choose which attributes and skills to learn, foregoes all that just to be a grindfest.
It’s the most divisive entry on this list, with scores ranging from 3 to 9, which might sound intriguing. Yet, the sum of them all putsDark Rose Valkyriein the annals of one of the worst JRPGs of the last decade.
7Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed
OpenCritic Score - 56
Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed
I don’t know if I’d labelAkiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefedas a JRPG, because while it has several elements found in the subgenre, it lacks in the RPG department. Still, OpenCritic filters categorize it as a JRPG, so the publisher must have made that decision.
And speaking of Japan, this game features anime aesthetics, a (yet again) visual novel narrative, beat-‘em-up combat, and plenty of quirkiness and oddities straight out of the deepest catalogs of Crunchyroll.
To start, the game’s title is a pun. You have to strip enemies so they die via sunlight, which, well, doesn’t paint a nice initial picture. Outside of forcefully undressing your enemies, there’s nothing elseinnovativehere. Then, despite being a remake of the PSP version, the visual presentation is still subpar on modern consoles.
While its weird narrative might win over a solid fanbase, the clunky combat, poor graphics, and technical issues will drive away most players, leavingAkiba’s Tripstuck in its own niche of players who like stripping others. I guess it’s time to reevaluate my life’s roadmap.
6Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris
OpenCritic Score - 55
Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris
Games inspired by anime generally perform averagely well, especially the most famous IPs.Sword Art Onlinehas several JRPGs that sit in the 60-70 score range, which is fine. But notSword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris, which is the worst in the franchise and the only one I had the displeasure of playing.
I played the Switch version ofAlicization Lycoris, and, as many of you know, ports on the last generation Nintendo console were rough in both visuals and performance. So, to be fair, I will only consider the original releases.
JRPGs are known for being long, but at least some of them have good pacing. SAO has neither. Somehow, it manages to make the entire anime adaptation evenmore drawn-out than necessary. By the time it picks up, you’ve already dropped the game.
The flashy action combat is somehow enjoyable, but every other aspect surrounding the game is notoriously bad. The whole experience is a chore, whether you’re roaming the empty world map, collecting items, completing sidequests, or anything else in between these activities. A game truly reserved only for the most SAO die-hard fans.
5Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Infinite Combate
OpenCritic Score - 54
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Familia Myth Infinite Combate
When I started watchingIs It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?I swear it was for the premise of dungeons, and level up, and other game-related stuff, not necessarily the “Pick Up Girls” part. And well, while the anime does a good job of portraying all the things I like, the JRPG didn’t follow suit.
As the title and theme of the anime give away,Infinite Combateis a dungeon crawler JRPG. We control several characters as they hack away at monsters, level up, complete quests, and earn money. Rinse and repeat that to exhaustion in a tragic manner.
The game retells the story of the anime in the (you guessed it) typical visual novel format, but is aggressively unengaging. Character portraits weren’t paid enough even to pretend they were lip-syncing.
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Please, I need some tissues.
All exploration is conducted through menus, and the only moment we actually control our characters is in the same old dungeon with reused assets. Sounds devilishly boring, eh?
If you want to get to know the series, I suggest going for the anime. And if you like the anime and want to check out the game, I advise you not to and instead cherish the good memories you’ve built alongside Bell and Hestia.
4Asdivine Hearts
OpenCritic Score - 53
Asdivine Hearts
In the past, I had a particular fondness forKemco. It seemed like a developer that wanted to preserve the identity of JRPGs of yesteryear with itscozy pixel art, classic turn-based battles, and a simple but engaging premise.
However, as the industry evolved and Kemco’s JRPGs didn’t, I realized it was more a matter of laziness than homage. To provide some context, Kemco has published/developed/ported over 100 games in the past decade, with only a few being showcased in critics’ aggregators.
Asdivine Hearts, for example, is one of the few RPGs from the developer that received some attention, albeit not in a positive light. The reason is simple: all their games feel like just a reskinned version of the others. It’s always an on-budget title with a lacklustre offering in every aspect imaginable.
If you play one Kemco game, it’s as if you’ve played another 30. They only avoided the shovelware label because some are at least minimally earnest, but ultimately, none deserve your attention.
3Grimshade
OpenCritic Score - 51
Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, Mac
August 17, 2025
Grimshadeis, indeed, a grim experience. Dubbing itself as a game inspired by ’90s JRPGs, this tactical game had many good ideas that failed to sprout, never giving players a chance to enjoy what it probably had to offer.
Most critics note thatGrimshadefeels unfinished, like an early version that was leaked before its full release. It has its standout moments, especially in the dialogues, but that’s it. The more players engage with it, the more the cracks start to show.
Personally, I find the visual style quite appealing, with both the font and textbox reminding me of the Infinity Engine used in the first twoBaldur’s Gategames. Outside of that, there’s nothing else for the game to stand on.
The tactical combat is extremely sluggish, offering nothing new that we haven’t seen done better elsewhere, and it’s also unfairly unbalanced. To top it off, the game also showcases several technical issues, ultimately justifyingGrimshade’slow score.
2Loop8: Summer of Gods
OpenCritic Score - 50
Loop8: Summer of Gods
One of my favorite themes in interactive media istime manipulation, whether by traveling through it or freezing a day, as seen in films likeGroundhog Day.Loop8: Summer of Gods, as the name may have given away, is exactly that, a visual novel JRPG with dating sim elements, where you’re stuck in time.
InLoop 8, the protagonist, Nini, is stuck in the eighth month. The game revolves around interacting with our allies, building their intimacy, and gaining power to unleash in turn-based battles against monsters. A promising premise with an abysmally executed outcome.
If a game proposes to repeat the same scenes over and over, what do you want? Changes, innovations, twists. But no.Loop8is literally the repetition of the same moments, the same interactions, dialogues, choices, and everything else - minus your answers, because that’s the whole gist.
I have to give credit toLoop8’sboldness, because the game forces us to relive all its horrible moments over and over, as if we’re in a Goebbels experiment, just waiting for the brainwash to make us accept it as a good game.
1Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire
OpenCritic Score - 47
Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire
I have a theory: in recent years, during some marketing meetings, it was decided that labeling your indie as the “spiritual successor of a classic JRPG” was a valid strategy. Suddenly, several indie renaissance titles inspired byChrono Trigger,Final Fantasy,Earthbound, and whatnot started emerging.
The victim this time wasSkies of Arcadia, whose air pirates’ template served as the base forSky Oceans: Wings for Hire. The game garnered attention due to this shameless comparison, alongside its colorful and visually appealing graphical style.
But whereSkies of Arcadiasoared,Sky Oceans: Wings for Hirecrashed. Except for its marketing, nothing in this game works. The JRPG’s turn-based dogfights are excruciatingly slow, forcing the player to repeatedly go through the same boring animation.
All the game’s controls are clunky, like we’re piloting Santos-Dumont’s 14-bis back in the day - you know, that one made by the Brazilian father of aviation. And the narrative, while earnest, is overshadowed by technical issues and the lack of… everything that makes a game not drain the life from your eyes.
Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire’sgreatest strength is that it managed to convince 19 critics to review it. And I mean no shade because I love PQube, but a huge flop once in a decade is okay, right? Oh wait,Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?is also from them. Oopsie.
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