What Even Is a JRPG?

Before we start chucking unexpected games under the JRPG label, let’s get super clear on what we’re talking about. JRPGs, or Japanese Role-Playing Games, typically refer to RPGs developed in Japan. They often feature linear storytelling, a party-based system, character progression, and more often than not, combat that involves some kind of menu.

But here’s where things get messy. “JRPG” isn’t just about where a game is made anymore; it’s turned into a full-blown vibe. Plenty of games made outside of Japan borrow JRPG-style gameplay, mechanics, or aesthetics. Does that make them JRPGs? Cue the arguments that could break up friendships. Here, we’re leaning on the “technically correct” definition of games tied to the genre.

Why These Games? Why Now?

Look, expanding is fun, if only because it irritates gatekeepers. But more than that, it opens up new ways to appreciate games that are overlooked or dismissed because they don’t fit neatly into one box. And if you’re anything like me, you secretly live for chaos in the form of genre re-shuffling.

1. Dark Souls – The Grim Reaper of JRPGs

Yes, indeed. While its Western fantasy aesthetic makes it feel like Tolkien wandered into a roguelike fever dream, Dark Souls was developed by FromSoftware, a Japanese studio. The story’s opaque as heck, but if you squint, you can call it an exploration of themes like bravery and sacrifice (oh, and hundreds of deaths). JRPGs love a good existential crisis, and Dark Souls delivers. Just try slapping a turn-based combat system in there, and the JRPG crowd would be throwing “masterpiece” stickers all over it.

2. Undertale – A “Western” JRPG That’s Pure Chaos

Toby Fox’s indie darling Undertale rests on the shoulders of games like EarthBound and Final Fantasy, yet it was created in a Boston basement. Cutesy visuals plus the possibility to avoid killing enemies? Classic JRPG vibes! And the humor? Straight-up brilliant. Sure, it’s not technically out of Japan, but its inspiration screams similarities.

3. South Park: The Stick of Truth – Because Why Not

You’d think a game built entirely on crude humor, questionable storytelling. But peek under the hood, and you’ll see a turn-based combat system and clear questlines made with RPG mechanics. The devs at Obsidian borrowed heavily from that genres traditions, even giving us an eccentric party lineup (hello, Butters as your healer).

4. Ni no Kuni II – The JRPG You Forgot Happens to Be Perfect

Sure, this one’s a cheat because Ni no Kuni II was made by Level-5, a Japanese developer. But considering how often people compare the series to a Studio Ghibli film that accidentally became a video game, it’s kind of its own category. Add in Kingdom Builder mode? Boom. JRPG. Case closed.

5. Pokemon Go – Bet You Didn’t See This Coming

Hear me out before you throw a Pokéball at my head. Just because Pokemon Go gets you out of the house and wandering like a confused tourist doesn’t mean it doesn’t wear its  badge. Monster catching? Check. Level progression? Check. Party setup? Absolutely. The battle mechanics are streamlined, but it essentially redefines “grinding” to mean “walking off lunch calories.”

Why Does It Matter?

It’s easy to write off fringe cases as unworthy of your time, but doing so limits how you define a genre while missing out on quirky gems. Genres can be flexible, and maybe it’s time we learn to appreciate how far these games have left their mark, even where you least expect it.

Wrap-Up

These fringe games crash the JRPG party like your chaotic friend who “forgot to RSVP.” They might not seem like they belong at first glance, but look closer, and you’ll find the DNA of the genre swimming right there in battle mechanics, storytelling, or the gameplay loop.

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