JRPGs With The Best Non-Combat Activities

JRPGs are commonly remembered for their epic narratives, memorable characters, and complex combat systems. However, not everything in a hero's life revolves around battles. In many games of the genre, players have the opportunity to engage in non-combat activities that provide moments of relaxation and decompression, serving as an alternative for those who want to enjoy the game without engaging with the main plot.

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In some cases, players might attend classes and form new friendships, while in others, they could challenge the region's top anglers or take part in a thrilling kart race, showing that, with a bit of creativity, it's possible to add diverse content to each game. As a result, there are many non-combat activities in JRPGs for players to enjoy.

10 Pokemon Scarlet And Violet

Players Study And Bond While Exploring New Horizons

• Activities: Classes, bonding, picnics

The premise of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is that players are given the opportunity to study at one of the best schools in the Pokemon world. To succeed, players must not only participate in Pokemon battles but also attend classes. These classes, divided into various subjects, challenge gamers to answer questions about Pokemon battles and the characteristics of different species.

Additionally, the game features a basic quest and event system that allows players to strengthen their bond with the school's teachers and staff, as well as the chance to enjoy picnics with their Pokemon.

9 The Legend Of Heroes: Trails To Azure

Anglers Unite In Crossbell To Face Fishing Challenges

• Activities: Fishing challenges

Trails to Azure is the fifth game in the Trails franchise and the second in the Crossbell duology. While it’s a fairly linear JRPG with a strong narrative focus, the game features an activity common in the series but taken to a deeper level.

In Trails to Azure, players can help save the Crossbell Fisherman's Guild by challenging the Elite Four - an obvious nod to Pokemon - composed of the region's top anglers. What begins as a simple task develops into a side quest with its own progression, adding incredible content for players who wish to take a break from the main objectives.

8 Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & The Secret Hideout

Alchemy Powers Exploration And Forges Friendships

• Activities: Alchemy, crafting, gathering

Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout is one of many games in the Atelier series that offer abundant side content to explore. While the game focuses on combat and the narrative of Ryza and her friends saving the world, its core premise revolves around gathering items and crafting new materials through alchemy.

In any Atelier game, players can look forward to deeply engaging alchemy mechanics, crafting materials to aid in combat and improve the lives of those around them. In this way, for players who enjoy these alternative mechanics in games, the franchise does an excellent job for those who love to explore.

7 Rune Factory 5

Features Farming, Crafting, And Monster Taming

• Activities: Farming, taming, relationships

Rune Factory is a series by Marvelous that began as a spin-off of Story of Seasons. As a result, the game blends elements of a traditional JRPG, focusing on combat and story, providing activities like building friendships with the residents of a region.

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Activities include farming, with planting and harvesting various crops depending on the season, taming monsters to collect resources like milk and eggs, fishing, mining, and crafting items that aid in exploration or serve as gifts for the inhabitants of the village of Rigbarth.

6 Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Mini-Games And Romance Complement Storytelling

• Activities: Mini-games, racing, dating

It’s fair to say that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth feels like multiple games wrapped into one. In addition to its compelling combat and main story - marking the second installment of Square Enix’s ambitious reimagining of the beloved classic - the game offers a wide variety of engaging mini-games.

These include the ever-popular Chocobo racing, a fast-paced minecart adventure, an arcade-style on-rails shooter, and Queen’s Blood, a strategic card game. Furthermore, the game implements dating simulation elements, enabling players to explore romances and unlock unique date scenarios with party members.

5 Fantasy Life

Switch Lives To Master Unique Skills

• Activities: Professions, crafting, exploration

Fantasy Life is a game originally released for the Nintendo 3DS that shares a similar style to the Rune Factory franchise, just with some new features that give the game its own personality. Players control a character who can choose from 12 different professions. Each choice changes the gameplay, offering combat-focused roles as well as non-combat classes like lumberjack, blacksmith, cook, or fisherman.

Every life has its own unique skills and quests, encouraging exploration and the development of multiple professions. Players can gather resources, craft items, and assist the village's inhabitants while freely switching between activities, granting them great freedom over what they can do.

4 Yakuza: Like A Dragon

Ridiculously Fun Activities In Japan

• Activities: Karaoke, racing, management and more

Yakuza is a franchise renowned for offering much more than combat, featuring various side activities that allow players to experience life in Japan's regions. With Yakuza: Like a Dragon, which introduced more JRPG elements, the game stands out even further, blending genre mechanics with the series' traditional humor.

Players can explore Yokohama and engage in mini-games such as karaoke, darts, classic arcades, kart racing, and even business management, where the goal is to turn a failing company into a profitable empire. As a result, players may find themselves spending more time on side activities than on the clashes between Japanese mafia clans.

3 Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Shape Students' Lives Through Bonds

• Activities: Fishing, mentoring, events

Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a tactical JRPG set in the Garreg Mach Monastery, where three groups of students from different regions of the continent live and participate in school activities. In addition to its focus on combat and a twist-filled storyline, the game shines with its non-combat activities, such as group meals, fishing, event planning, and dating sim mechanics.

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As the monastery's new professor, players must build bonds with their students, guiding them in both battle proficiency and personal growth. Additionally, the game incorporates some time-management mechanics, requiring players to carefully select the activities they will undertake each day, as time is somewhat limited.

2 Persona 5 Royal

Teenage Adventures Blend With Justice

• Activities: Studying, friendships, hobbies

One of the first games that comes to mind when discussing Non-Combat Activities in JRPGs is Persona. Persona 5 Royal offers an extensive range of activities. The game’s premise involves the player being part of a group that fights societal evils while leading a normal high school life and engaging in typical teenage activities.

Set over the course of a one-year calendar, the game provides various school and personal life activities, such as strengthening friendships, studying for exams, and much more. Many of these additional activities help the protagonist enhance their own Personas or those of their allies, granting more advantages during the dungeons in the main missions.

1 Metaphor: ReFantazio

Players Can Spend Time With Allies

• Activities: Bonding, events, exploration

Metaphor: ReFantazio is developed by the same team behind the Persona series, meaning players can expect some similarities in balancing combat gameplay with non-combat activities, both of which are deeply intertwined narratively and mechanically.

Set in the kingdom of Euchronia after the king's assassination, the game unfolds in a unique fantasy world where the protagonist strives to lift the prince’s curse. Along the way, players can engage in activities like building trust with followers, participating in debates with various characters in the cities they visit, as well as other activities that complement the main story.