Best PS4 JRPGs

A Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) can mean different things to different people. For some, it's merely any role-playing game created by a Japanese developer, labeling games like Dark Souls a JRPG. For others though, a JRPG is a specific genre that is defined by games like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, adhering to traditions like a strong focus on story and character development, and fantasy elements like magic, squad customization, and leveling systems.

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By  Bilal Ahmad Kaakati

The PS4 has a very good selection of JRPGs, even if it perhaps did not reach the same heights as the PS1 or PS2. Which PS4 JRPGs will be remembered as the hardware's crowning achievements in the genre?

Updated on December 12, 2024, by Mehrdad Khayyat: PlayStation has always been the primary home to JRPG titles. Thanks to the console's massive fanbase in Japan, it has always been far easier for Sony to negotiate exclusivity deals with Japanese developers, especially on RPG titles.

Franchises like Final Fantasy, Persona, Ni No Kuni, and The Legend of Heroes still favor timed exclusive deals with PlayStation over the Western platforms, despite the significant growth of Xbox in recent years.

29 Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen

A Fantasy World Akin To Skyrim With A Variety Of Races And Combat Styles

Dragon’s Dogma seemed to immediately debut as a cult classic, a fate that befell plenty of RPGs that launched around the same time as Skyrim and, to a lesser extent, Dark Souls. Although not devoid of flaws, Capcom’s project offered enough positives to distinguish itself from the rest of the genre’s early 2010s releases.

Set in a small but engaging open-world, Dragon’s Dogma’s main selling point was and still is its flexible battle system that presents players with plenty of wiggle room to play around with builds. Combat is the game’s main focus, and while decent from the start, it blossoms into something special after a couple of hours. That said, the campaign has a fairly slow and directionless start that can be off-putting.

Dark Aisen is the enhanced version of Dragon’s Dogma that includes a new late-game section notorious for its difficulty spike, although it is still a great addition to the overall package. The PS4 release primarily provides a smoother gameplay experience than its PS3 predecessor, which is not an insignificant improvement for a game that revolves so heavily around combat.

28 Dragon's Crown Pro

A Side-Scroller RPG Upgraded To Modern Standards

Vanillaware has built a reputation for crafting addictive games that blend different genres together. The developer’s resume is filled with masterpieces, and a strong argument could be made that 2013’s Dragon’s Crown sits at the very top of the pile. A side-scrolling beat ‘em up mixed with satisfying role-playing progression and class systems, the seventh-generation release garnered near-universal praise upon its debut, and it holds up beautifully after all these years. Unsurprisingly, the game was eventually remastered for the PS4, and while this iteration contains almost no new content, the core experience is nevertheless fantastic.

Someone’s mileage with Dragon’s Crown Pro will likely come down to their history with the vanilla version; if they played it to death and do not really feel an intense desire to play through everything again, they probably won’t get too much out of the upgraded iteration. Conversely, newcomers looking for a unique JRPG overflowing with style might find themselves consumed by Vanillaware’s glorious title. Gameplay-wise, Dragon’s Crown plays out like a modern beat ‘em up, albeit one that offers way more build options than the genre’s typical representative. The campaign revolves around dungeon expeditions where players must battle their way through hordes of enemies to acquire loot and experience.

27 NEO: The World Ends With You

A 3D Overhaul Over The Original Game With Significant Combat Improvements

People had been waiting for a sequel to The World Ends With You for over a decade, and NEO: The World Ends With You mostly lived up to expectations. Even if it didn't quite manage to reach the same lofty highs as its predecessor, NEO still tells an engrossing story while offering infectious music and memorable characters.

The PS4 JRPG offers a great deal of customization through pins players can unlock and equip to their characters to use in battles, extending the longevity of a combat system that is otherwise fun but shallow.

26 Ys 9: Monstrum Nox

Offering A Variety Of Playable Heroes With Unique Abilities

When it comes to JRPGs for PS4, Ys fans have been treated well. Ys 9: Monstrum Nox retains the core mechanics of its immediate predecessor, the brilliant Lacrimosa of Dana. This time around, the setting is Balduq, a city known for its prison. Naturally, Adol finds himself behind bars, where he is freed by a strange woman and told the join the Monstrums, who are basically vigilantes.

Monstrum Nox's combat is a delight; fast-paced, precise, and smooth, it showcases why Ys is considered one of the greatest action JRPG franchises ever.

25 Scarlet Nexus

Becoming Humanity's Last Defense In A Cyberpunk Universe

One of the nicest surprises of 2021, Bandai Namco's Scarlet Nexus is a contender for the year's best new IP. Taking place in a world overrun with threats known as Others, players take control of a new OSF member as they try to keep the peace. With separate stories for the two playable characters, Scarlet Nexus offers an incredible amount of content, with the main story requiring roughly 40+ hours to fully experience.

Scarlet Nexus' combat system is also a highlight. Immediately accessible but containing a surprising amount of depth, battles never get boring despite the campaign's length.

24 The Legend Of Heroes: Trails To Azure

Another Adventure By SSS Forces To Solve New Cases

It took a long while but The Legend of Heroes' Crossbell arc is finally available in Western nations. Trails from Zero and Trails to Azure originally debuted on the PSP exclusively in Japan, and while their PS4 ports do highlight the games' ages in many ways, they also prove that these JRPGs are generally timeless. Both titles follow the Special Support Section, an agency that takes on cases within Crossbell. Along with an overarching plot that is quite grand and ambitious, the games are also divided into mini-stories that are largely confined to each chapter. This creative decision allows the games to have an episodic feel, which fits since they revolve around detectives.

Generally speaking, The Legend of Heroes is a contender for the best PS4 JRPG franchise since its entries maintain such a consistently high standard. Collectively, they bring to life an incredible and complex world that has very few peers in the gaming landscape.

23 Tales Of Vesperia: Definitive Edition

A Classic JRPG Experience With 3D World And Rich Character Development

Players interested in diving into Namco Bandai’s franchise have more than two decades' worth of games at their disposal. From the ones available on the PS4, Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition stands out as the cream of the crop for those looking for a more traditional entry in the series.

Originally released in 2008, Tales of Vesperia has aged beautifully, partially due to its stylistic visuals. The combat is simplistic compared to subsequent entries in the franchise, but Vesperia shines in the story and character departments. The protagonist, Yuri, is especially fantastic.

22 Genshin Impact

One Of The Most Expansive JRPG Games That Still Grows Further

MiHoYo's free-to-play JRPG took the world by storm when launched in 2020. Set in Teyvat, Genshin Impact places players in the shoes of the Traveler, a being from another world who sets out to find their sibling.

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Genshin Impact is a massive game that just keeps on expanding in size. The combat is immediately enjoyable and offers depth through team compositions as players seek to pull characters from the game's gacha system.

21 Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & The Secret Fairy

An Open-World JRPG With Rewarding Explorations And Beautiful Visuals

There are a bunch of Atelier JRPGs for the PS4, and they are consistently pleasant experiences. Released worldwide in 2021, Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & The Secret Fairy doesn't shake the formula in any significant way; however, it fine-tunes the elements that worked in previous entries while throwing in a few neat twists.

Ultimately, Atelier Ryza 2's gameplay loop boils down to the same formula as most of the rest of the series: Ryza must collect ingredients for her alchemy. There is a decent narrative as well.

20 The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 3

A Story Progressed Through Generations With New Combat Mechanics

Although originating in the late ‘80s, Nihon Falcom’s franchise really gained steam with 2004’s The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky. In 2013, the series launched the “Trails of Cold Steel” arc, a four-part saga that encompasses some of the most intricate world-building in the JRPG genre.

The highest-rated of the bunch, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 3 features plenty of quality-of-life improvements, particularly when it comes to its turn-based battles. As each entry builds upon the last, Trails of Cold Steel 3 can’t be recommended as a standalone game; thankfully, the series has produced nothing but great titles.